Support for Learning

The Support for Learning Department is a whole school resource staffed by specialist teachers who have Additional Support Needs qualifications in addition to their teaching specialisation. The department is based in the Support for Pupils floor of the Administration wing. We have 2 teachers namely: Elizabeth McTiernan, Principal Teacher, and Patricia Connelly. Jenny Condie, (Area Network Specialist Support Teacher) is based at Uddingston Grammar for 2.5 days per week.

The Department have 8 Additional Support Needs Assistants (ASNA) who work in class supporting pupils’ learning. ASNA staff at Uddingston Grammar are: Helen Faith, Angela Hughes, Sandra Johnstone, Janine Lawlor, Karen Marshall, Christine Noble, Irena Sutyagina and Louise Walsh.

Mission Statement

The Support for Learning Department are committed to ensuring that appropriate and effective provision is made for young people who have additional support needs leading to barriers to learning.

The Department is fully committed to raising the standard of attainment of all pupils and to enabling every pupil to achieve his or her full potential. The Department is a whole school resource to staff, pupils and parents, offering assistance where a barrier to learning occurs.

We strive to develop self-confidence along with the basic skills for life and work.

We work with our partners to ensure that young people with additional support needs are:

Successful learners
Effective Contributors
Confident Individuals
Responsible Citizens

Role of the Support for Learning Teacher

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 provides the legal framework for the provision of additional support for learning. The legislation was amended by the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009. The Act is structured around the concept of support being needed for any reason, and for short or long term periods determined by the individual learning needs of the child or young person. The key duties on education authorities are to identify, make provision for, and review provision for the additional support needs of children and young people for whose education they are responsible.

Within these parameters, the Support for Learning Department has five specific roles:

1. Consultancy

Consultancy can take place in many forms: from simply giving advice to working collaboratively with individuals or departments. Effective learning and teaching strategies may be discussed and developed and suitable resources identified and made available.

2. Cooperative teaching

The Department offers cooperative teaching to work alongside teaching staff to support pupils in subjects across the school. Direct support can be offered to pupils in class and learning and progress can be monitored.

3. Staff development

The Department contributes to staff development in a variety of ways: through the sharing of insight, experience and resources; the presentation of in-service sessions; offering guidance on materials, equipment and approaches; commenting on guidelines and briefing documents and by disseminating information from courses attended.

4. Individual/Group tuition

The Department offers tuition for pupils who require extra support to supplement their learning experience. Literacy Acceleration groups operate in S1 and S2. In S3 and S4 pupils may to be invited to choose the Skills for Learning option. Pupils will have 2 periods of literacy and numeracy support and take part in the ASDAN Award Scheme. In some cases, individual tuition is offered to support a young person’s learning.

5. Liaison with other agencies

The Department work closely with agencies involved in working towards better outcome for our young people. These include; Psychological Services, Social Work Services, Child and Mental Health Services, Speech and Language Services, Skills Development Scotland and New College Lanarkshire.

Role of the Support for Learning Assistant

Individual and Group Support

Working with a small group/individual pupil to consolidate skills under the direction/supervision of teachers to promote effective, independent learning and teaching.
Supporting pupils with significant difficulties
Assisting pupils with the use of IT
Supporting Literacy and Numeracy development
Providing appropriate praise and encouragement to pupils

Working Co-operatively

Working under the direction of a subject teacher within the class to ensure that pupils, who may be experiencing difficulties, are accessing the curriculum through appropriate levels of work.
May bring ideas and materials to the lesson that will enrich the quality of learning and teaching

Providing Specialist Support

Reading/scribing/prompting in assessments
Using the specialist resources and materials to support pupils
Providing essential information on pupils they work with in classes
Providing relevant information to teachers’ records and reports on pupil progress in confidence
Supporting pupils with tasks that they may find difficult on account of a particular disability
Supporting pupils in meal time situations and educational outings
Contributing to planning sessions within the team

GIRFEC (Getting it Right for every Child)

What is the GIRFEC Approach?

GIRFEC is the national approach in Scotland to improving outcomes and supporting the wellbeing of our children and young people by offering the right help at the right time from the right people.

It supports them and their parent(s) to work in partnership with the services that can help them. It puts the rights and wellbeing of children and young people at the heart of the services that support them – such as early years services, schools, and the NHS – to ensure that everyone works together to improve outcomes for a child or young person.

Most children get all the support and help they need from their parent(s), wider family and local community, in partnership with services like health and education. Where extra support is needed, the GIRFEC approach aims to make that support easy to access and seamless, with the child at the centre. It is for all children and young people because it is impossible to predict if or when they might need extra support.

The Support for Learning Department is committed to working collaboratively within the Pupil Support Team to ensure that appropriate support is available for young people at Uddingston Grammar School.

The GIRFEC approach:

Is child-focused. It ensures the child or young person – and their family – is at the centre of decision-making
Is based on an understanding of the wellbeing of a child. It looks at a child or young person’s overall wellbeing – how safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included they are – so that the right support can be offered at the right time
Is based on tackling needs early. It aims to ensure needs are identified as early as possible to avoid bigger concerns or problems developing
Requires joined-up working. It is about children, young people, parents, and the services they need working together in a coordinated way to meet the specific needs and improve their wellbeing

For more information about how GIRFEC operates in Lanarkshire, click here.

Staged Intervention

This is the system used by educational establishments to make sure the particular needs of a young person are identified as soon as possible. The purpose of this is to inform decisions about potential interventions to allow a young person to maximise his or her potential.
This model of staged intervention sets out four levels and links with the GIRFEC approach and planning tools. As with all staged intervention processes movement between stages is usually following exhaustion of the provisions at the level below. In some cases acceleration through the stages will be required to meet the individual needs of the child or young person. This process enables those taking decisions about support to ensure that the support proposed is appropriate.

Here is the outline of the Staged Intervention flowchart used in South Lanarkshire Council.

Stage 1 — Planning and intervention within the establishment.
Stage 2 — Planning and intervention within the establishment, using our own resources.
Stage 3 — Planning and intervention from across Education Resources.
Stage 4 — Planning and intervention using supports from partner agencies and agencies out-with education

Dyslexia

Scottish Government Definition of Dyslexia

Dyslexia can be described as a continuum of difficulties in learning to read, write and/or spell, which persist despite the provision of appropriate learning opportunities. These difficulties often do not reflect an individual’s cognitive abilities and may not be typical of performance in other areas.

The impact of dyslexia as a barrier to learning varies in degree according to the learning and teaching environment, as there are often associated difficulties such as:

Auditory and/or visual processing of language-based information
Phonological awareness
Oral language skills and reading fluency
Short-term and working memory
Sequencing and directionality
Number skills
Organisational ability
Motor skills and co-ordination may also be affected

School staff have a responsibility to have knowledge of the nature of dyslexia and of the strategies which are generally regarded as successful in supporting such learners.

Identification of Need

Learners ‘needs are identified as early as possible using South Lanarkshire Council’s Staged Intervention process. This clear structured framework involves learners, parents/carers, staff and other professionals in the process of assessing learning and teaching priorities.
Roles and responsibilities of staff

Staff within establishments should manage a staged system of assessment of learners’ needs. Establishments should use a full range of assessment techniques and staff should closely monitor and evaluate learners' progress.

Use should be made of the following as appropriate:

Observation
Information from parents/carers
Information from previous establishments
Individual educational planning
Involvement of specialist staff out with the establishment.

A formal identification of Dyslexia will be the result of the ongoing process of assessment to which all parties have contributed.

Staff make use of the national resource, ‘Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit’ as a guide in the process.

Teaching approaches and support

Learners with dyslexia will be appropriately supported, within an inclusive environment which is supportive of their learning needs.

Staff have responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the needs of learners with dyslexia by:

Developing core knowledge and skills
Participating in training opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills
Using appropriate teaching and learning strategies
Planning for individual needs
Keeping accurate records of learners progress
Collaborating with others on implementing appropriate interventions.

Assessment and arrangements for SQA examinations

The appropriate arrangements will be put in place to allow learners to demonstrate their achievements against the Framework for Assessment (CfE).
All staff should have knowledge of the special arrangements available for learners with specific learning difficulties. Digital exam papers may also be accessed. Potential arrangements should be discussed with parents and learners at the earliest possible time, in order that decisions can be made about what may best alleviate a barrier to learning.
Learners should have opportunities to practice for external examinations using the necessary supports.

Please refer to information on the school’s policy on additional arrangement requests.

Nurture

At Uddingston Grammar we have an established Nurture programme that runs in conjunction with our Primary/Secondary transition programme. This is in full partnership with feeder primaries, parents and identified young people.

The Nurture Room is staffed by trained members of the Support for Learning Department, Elizabeth McTiernan and Patricia Connelly, Support for Learning Assistant, Karen Marshall.
Nurture allows identified young people to make secure attachments with staff and, therefore, have an overall smoother transition to life at Uddingston Grammar.

Nurture provision continues for some pupils throughout their time at Uddingston Grammar. It is a flexible provision and nurture support can be offered throughout a session through a clear referral system.

To find out more about Secondary Nurture you can click here.

To find out more about Nurture at Uddingston Grammar then please take a look at our policy document.

Uddingston Grammar

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