Support for Learning

The Support for Learning (SfL) department is a whole school resource working with pupils from the Nursery up to pupils in S6. It is staffed by specialist teachers who have Additional Support Needs qualifications in addition to their teaching specialisation.  The department has support rooms in the Castle Building and the Grassmarket Campus.

Support for Learning: Staffing

Ms Valerie Higson (Head of Department)

Ms Higson has had twenty eight years experience in education. She has worked in both Junior and Senior Schools (subject teacher and Support for Learning specialist), delivered INSET training and worked as a SEN Development Officer for the Scottish Executive. She is also an Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association. She is particularly interested in dyslexia, dyscalculia and strategies for learning.

Ms Melinda Churches

Ms Churches works part-time in Support for Learning. In addition to her training as an English teacher, she has qualifications as a primary teacher and specialist degrees in the teaching of reading and in Additional Support Needs.  She is currently studying for a Post-Graduate diploma in Counselling at the University of Edinburgh. Ms Churches enjoys being able to teach within the broad and varied context that is Heriot's.

Mrs Helen Fennell

Mrs Fennell has recently joined the Support for Learning department and works part-time. In addition to her training as an English teacher, she has also been awarded a Post Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Literacy from York University. She has worked as both an English teacher and in Support for Learning for the last six years and also has experience of supporting students for whom English is an additional language.

Mrs Joyce Jackson

Mrs Jackson is a Chartered Educational Psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council who has worked at local authority level for eight years. She began her career as a teacher for pupils with Additional Support Needs and now combines these roles in her work at Heriot's. She is particularly interested in Early Intervention programmes, Specific Learning Difficulties and supporting pupils for emotional and psychological wellbeing. Mrs Jackson is a member of the British Psychological Society and the Association of Educational Psychologists.

Mrs Heather Staines

Mrs Staines trained as an English teacher and also has experience of teaching both English as an Additional Language and Basic Skills in Literacy and Numeracy. She holds an MA in Linguistics and English Language Teaching and a Certificate in Learner Support. Mrs Staines is now studying for a Post Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Difficulties at the University of Edinburgh. She is particularly interested in Literacy across the curriculum.

Mr David Thain

Mr Thain has taught in Primary schools for eleven years, having qualified with a B.Ed at Edinburgh University. He has had many varied teaching experiences over these years including work in the Scottish state system, the Solomon Islands, Spain and five years at George Heriot's.  Recently he has been awarded a Post-Graduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties and is now completing his Masters at the University of Edinburgh.

Support for Learning: Policy

Rationale

In line with The Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, the department is committed to ensuring that appropriate and efficient provision is made for all pupils, including those who have an additional support need which may affect their education.

Aim

The SfL 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. It operates through a process of collaboration across the School, fostering a continuous and progressive approach to learning for pupils throughout their Nursery, Junior and Senior schooling. The department recognises and promotes a healthy self esteem as a crucial element of successful learning.

Identification of pupils

Pupils in need of additional support are identified in a number of ways. These include objective methods such as screening, internal tests and examinations. Subjective assessment methods are also utilised including collaboration with teachers and parents. Pupils may also self refer.

Identified pupils will include those with specific learning difficulties who can be anywhere on the continuum from mild to severe and within a broad range of intelligence. Pupils with language, emotional, behavioural and physical difficulties will also be supported. Other factors which may highlight the need for support include disadvantageous educational history and non English speaking backgrounds.

Support

Support is delivered through the five Support for Learning 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. Co-operative teaching

At times SfL teachers teach alongside class teachers in the classroom. Clear aims are set out beforehand and subsequently reviewed. The benefits of co-operative teaching include: providing direct support to and monitoring the progress of all pupils in class; developing classroom strategies with the subject teacher and assisting in recording and assessment.

3. Direct Tuition

Sometimes it is helpful for pupils, individually or in small groups, to work out of class with a member of SfL staff. Also blocks of support may be given to larger groups of pupils to focus on development of specific skills.

4. Services to individual pupils

The SfL Department collates information on individual pupils and is involved in further investigation should the need arise. It has responsibility for ensuring that information on individual pupils is appropriately disseminated both in school and to external agencies.

5. Staff Development

The SfL 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.

None of these roles is carried out in isolation and each interacts with the others.