In 2017, Macintyre High School welcomed the addition of a second Multi Categorical class, which then allowed us to form a Special Education faculty.
In addition to the Special Education teaching staff, the new faculty also includes two School Learning Support Officers (SLSO) who support students with additional needs both within the faculty itself and in mainstream classes. The Special Education Faculty boasts a diverse staff of youth and experience. This wonderful combination of teaching staff and SLSOs has created a vibrant and knowledgeable team, who receive collegial support from across the whole school domain.
All students participate in whole school activities such as excursions, sporting carnivals, school sport and socials etc. Many students from the Special Education Faculty are integrating into mainstream subjects and are enjoying and valuing the variety of learning and social experiences this provides them.
To cater for 21st Century Learning and the individual needs of all the students, up to date technology has been purchased for each of the classrooms. Our challenge is not just to harness the potential technology can offer to support quality pedagogy, but to use this technology to provide opportunities to differentiate lessons to cater for each student’s varying academic level and facilitate social lessons.
Individual Education Planning (IEP) meetings take place to ensure all parents / carers have input into their child’s education plan. These meetings are an essential tool in developing programs of value for every child in the support classes.
The Learning Support Team
“The Learning Support Team (LST) is a whole school planning and support mechanism. It is formed with the purpose of addressing the learning needs of students through the coordination, development, monitoring and evaluation of educational programs. A prime role of the LST is to ensure that the needs of students in the school are being met”. (Special Education Handbook)
The priority of the Macintyre High School Learning Support team is to foster differentiated learning for all of our students including those with disabilities, learning difficulties and challenging behaviours. These students will have differing levels of educational needs, which may require the provision of one or more educational support services provided by or organised by the school. They may experience difficulties at any time throughout their school life and in varying forms.
The classroom teacher is the prime person in the school who meets the needs of students with learning and behaviour difficulties. The school Learning Support Team assists the classroom teacher in supporting their students. The Head Teacher Welfare is the leader of the Macintyre High School Learning Support Team.
Role of the Learning Support Team
The Learning Support Team focuses on addressing the learning needs of students by ensuring that collaborative planning and programming occurs, that effective implementation strategies are in place, that available and appropriate school resources are being utilised, and that monitoring, assessment and reporting strategies have been developed. The Learning Support Team considers the type and level of support for students with disabilities and learning needs or behaviour difficulties. It addresses curriculum, communication, social skills, personal care and safety and mobility needs. The team identifies and brings together key personnel within the school community eg Learning Centre and SLSOs who are most suitable to support the classroom teacher in meeting the student’s learning requirements
The Learning Support Team will:
- Implement an identification and referral procedure for students experiencing difficulties in learning.
- Facilitate a range of appropriate support strategies for students.
- Facilitate a range of appropriate support strategies for classroom teachers.
- If necessary prioritise students based on needs and availability of resources.
- Develop a coordinated plan for each student that might access external specialist personnel.
- Develop individual learning support plans that include progressive monitoring and record keeping.
- Select, implement and evaluate learning support resources.
- Communicate and liaise with the school community regarding referral and follow-up procedures.
- Review learning support strategies against current research and best practice models and programs.
- Develop whole school programs to address the needs of students.
Students Requiring Additional Learning Support
Two School Learning Support Officers (SLSO) work as part of the school’s Learning Support team to identify, assess, support and monitor students with additional learning needs. Once identified, the SLSOs work with the student and teachers to ensure that the student’s individual learning, social and emotional needs are being catered for. The SLSOs (may) withdraw individual students and small groups to work intensively with programs such as Quicksmart Maths Program and Literacy support with MULTILIT.