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Resource Teaching Policy
Oylegate N.S.
Resource Teaching Policy
Oylegate National School is a co-educational primary school from infants to sixth class, under the patronage of the Bishop of Ferns. It is a mainstream rural school, catering for a cross section of children. Our classes are mostly multi graded.
Oylegate N.S. currently has the following provisions to cater for children with Special Education Needs:
" One full time Learning Support Teacher.
" Two full-time Teachers for children with Low Incidence Disabilities.
" two full time and one part time special needs assistants
Our school aims to ensure that each pupil is given the maximum opportunity and support to develop his or her full potential and to foster his or her self esteem
Rational for Special needs
This policy has been devised in accordance with recent Department of Education circulars regarding Special Needs education.
Communication
This policy will be available from the school office on request, on the school web site and from the parents' council.
Aims of resource teaching:
" To provide supplementary teaching, additional support and resources for the pupils with an identified low incidence disability
" To develop and implement an I.E.P. with these pupils
" To plan, prepare and implement the support strategies for these pupils.
" To enable these pupils to monitor their own learning and to facilitate independently learning strategies
" To provide opportunities to build self esteem
" To practice new skills and competencies individually, in small groups or in whole class setting.
" To promote collaboration among teachers and SNA's to implement whole school policies for our children with S.E.N.
" To confer with parents and our partners in education
Staff Roles and Responsibilities:
The Role of the Resource Teacher
Pupils with Psychological, Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy reports may qualify for resource hours if they have a low incidence disability.
The Resource Teaching team helps to provide an education which meets the needs and abilities of children assessed by outside agencies. In addition, the Resource Team should advise and liaise with other teachers, parents and other professionals in the children's best interests.
According to Circular 08/02:
The post of Resource Teacher is an additional post allocated to assist a school or cluster of
schools in providing an education which meets the needs of children assessed as having
disabilities. Under the direction of the relevant Principal, the role of the Resource Teacher is to
provide additional teaching support for these children who have been fully integrated into
mainstream schools and who need such support. In addition, s/he should advise and liaise
with other teachers, parents and relevant professionals in the childrens' interest.
This is a whole school effort and not the responsibility of the resource teacher alone because
these children are fully integrated into a mainstream school and will spend most of his/her
time with the mainstream teacher.
2. The role of a Resource Teacher
A Resource Teacher assists schools in providing support for children with special educational
needs arising from disability by:
(a) Assessing and recording child needs and progress;
(b) Setting specific, time-related targets for each child and agreeing these with the class
teacher and principal;
(c) Direct teaching of the children, either in a separate room or within the mainstream class;
(d) Team-teaching - so long as the children concerned are deriving benefit from it;
(e) Advising class teachers in regard to adapting the curriculum, teaching strategies, suitable
textbooks, use of Information Technology and suitable software and a range of other
related matters;
(f) Meeting and advising parents, when necessary, accompanied by the class teacher, as
necessary;
(g) Short meetings with other relevant professionals, in the childrens' interest - e.g.
psychologists, speech and language therapists, visiting teachers, special school or special
class teachers.
More specifically the Resource Teacher has responsibility for:
" Administering Diagnostic Tests to assess the child's strengths and needs. We may use some or all of the following tests:
" The Aston index,
" a general assessment of Early learner styles ,
" B.I.A.P. ,
" running records in reading,
" maths assessments from the previous year's class maths books
" language samples,
" Writing samples
" in class and on yard observations
" Communicating progress with the class teacher and the parents at the beginning of each school year and as often as necessary during the academic year.
" assessing the S.E.N. pupils' needs and progress
" setting specific, measurable, achievable, time related targets for each pupil with the class teacher and the principal
" Developing an Individual Learning Programme for each pupil in consultation with the other partners in education including agreeing the child's care needs with the parents and class teacher.
" Linking the pupil's learning with the strengths and needs identified in the assessments, tests and observations.
" Reviewing the Individual Learning Programme at the end of each instructional term
" Administering additional tests during the year if the teacher has concerns. Set specific, time-related targets for each child and agree these with the class teacher and principal.
" Direct teaching of the child, either in a separate room or within the mainstream class in agreement with the class teacher to best serve the individual child's needs. Team teaching when the child concerned will derive benefit from it, to achieve a specific objective in a given time frame.
" Advising class teachers in regard to adapting the curriculum, teaching strategies, textbooks, ICT, and other related matters.
" Meeting and advising parents, when necessary, accompanied by the class teacher when it is appropriate.
" Keeping records of the pupils' progress, their reports, their Individual Learning Programmes and all relevant documentation. These are kept in a locked filing cabinet.
" Class teachers and the principal get copies of the Individual Learning Programmes. Parents get a copy if they request it. They have access to the
Individual Learning Programme whenever they wish to see it.
" Reviewing goals set at home with the parents and, those set in the class with teachers and SNAs at the end of each instructional term.
" Attending meetings or communicate with relevant partners in education in the pupil's best interest. (e.g. speech and language therapist, psychologist, occupational therapist ,physiotherapist )
" Liaising with Special Needs Coordinator / Organizer from the national Council for Special Education to facilitate implementation of education for persons with special needs.
The role of the principal teacher:
The principal has overall responsibility for the development, implementation and coordination of all school policies. He monitors the implementation of the school plans and the selection of pupils for each resource teacher's case load.
The role of the principal and resource teacher:
" Advise parents/guardians on support services
" Meet with parents/guardians when difficulties arise and devise solutions for these difficulties
" Identify pupils who have been allocated extra resource hours for particular special needs
" Consult with class teachers and parent and the pupils to determine the work
programme best suited to the pupil's needs.
" Coordinate the caseloads and work schedules for learning support, SNA's and resource teachers. In the case where a child's resource hours are being shared between two resource teachers, it is important to ensure the same pupils are not divided each year, where possible.
" Consult with the class teachers as to how to best provide for pupils with low incidence learning disabilities.
The role of the special needs team:
" Discuss and establish pupil profiles and priority learning needs for each pupil with his/her class teacher
" Consult with the SNA's in order to support each pupil's needs in the classroom and on yard.
" Collaborate with the principal, teachers, parents, SNA's to formulate whole school policies for special needs education.
" Meet at least once a term with the principal to discuss issues regarding the implementation of the resource and learning support policies.
" Equip the learning environments with suitable learning and teaching resources for pupils with S.E.N.
The role of the class teacher:
" Differentiate the curriculum appropriately to optimize learning for the pupils with S.E.N. to help these pupils to achieve success at their own individual levels.
" Provide learning experiences which are challenging but not frustrating, which foster self esteem and provides successfully experiences.
" Contribute to the development of I.E.P's with the resource teachers.
" Agree the child's care needs with the parents and resource teachers
" Provide learning experiences which support and reinforce priority targets identified in the I.E.P
" Administer and score appropriate screening tests and to discuss these results with the S.E.N teaching team.
" Review progress at the end of each term.
" Read reports regarding S.E.N. pupils in their classes and keep updated with the latest developments in his regard.
The role of parents:
We acknowledge the role of parents to be critical in their child's learning programme. We encourage the active involvement of parents in our school.
Parents can support their child when they
" Provide learning activities at home which support the class and resource teaching programme
" Agree the child's care needs with the class and resource teachers
" Encourage their child to develop their talents and interests
" Read with their child regularly
" Encourage their child to use I.C.T at home
" Discuss their children's activities in school encouraging a positive attitude towards schools while building vocabulary about school events.
" Implement suggestions agreed at the I.E.P meetings
" Keep school informed of progress or setbacks they have noticed in their child's learning
" Attend meetings with class teachers, resource teachers and other professional regarding their child's progress and assessments.
" Support school events
The role of pupils:
" Agree their own learning targets where appropriate
" Select their own learning material when appropriate
" Transfer learning strategies acquired in individual or small group lessons to their class room whenever they can
" Evaluate their own learning programme where appropriate
Selection of resource pupils:
Our resource pupils are often identified using the following approach.
Appendix 3 of Special Education Circular 0205
The Staged Approach to Assessment, Identification and Programme Planning
Stage I
A class teacher or parent may have concerns about the academic, physical, social, behavioural or emotional development of certain pupils. The teacher should then administer screening measures, which may include screening checklists and profiles for pupils in senior infants and first class, standardised, norm-referenced tests for older pupils and behavioural checklists where appropriate.
The class teacher should then draw up a short, simple plan for extra help to be implemented within the normal classroom setting, in the relevant areas of learning and/or behavioural management. The success of the classroom support plan should be reviewed regularly, with appropriate parental involvement. If concern remains after a number of reviews and adaptations to the plan, the special education support team or the learning support/resource teacher in the school may be consulted about the desirability of intervention at stage II.
Stage II
If intervention is considered necessary at stage II, then the pupil should be referred to the learning support/resource teacher, with parents' permission, for further diagnostic testing. In the case of pupils with learning difficulties, if the classroom support plan fails to achieve the desired outcome the pupil should be referred to the learning support teacher/resource teacher, with parents' permission, for further diagnostic testing. If this diagnostic assessment suggests that supplementary teaching would be beneficial, this should be arranged. The parents and the class teacher should be involved with the learning-support/resource teacher in drawing up the learning program me, which would include appropriate interventions for implementation in the home, in the classroom, and during supplementary teaching.
The learning support/resource teacher and the class teacher should review regularly, in consultation with the parents, the rate of progress of each pupil receiving supplementary teaching. If significant concerns remain after a number of reviews and adaptations to the learning program me, then it may be necessary to provide interventions at stage III.
In the case of pupils with emotional or behavioural difficulties, it is recognized that, with serious difficulties, more urgent action may be needed. In these cases the pupil's needs should, with parents' permission, be discussed with the relevant NEPS psychologist and/or the case should be referred to the clinical services of the Health Services Executive. This may lead to a more detailed behavioural management program me to be implemented at home and in class or to referral for further specialist assessment (stage III).
Stage III
Some pupils who continue to present with significant learning needs will require more intensive intervention at stage III. The school may formally request a consultation and, where appropriate, an assessment of need from a specialist outside the school in respect of pupils with learning difficulties or with mild or moderate behavioural problems (or both) who have failed to make progress after supplementary teaching or the implementation of a behavioural program me and in respect of pupils with serious emotional disturbance and/or behavioural problems. Such specialist advice may be sought from psychologists, pediatricians, speech and language therapists, audiologists, etc.[1]
The learning support/resource teacher, resource teacher, if available, and the class teacher, in consultation with the relevant specialist or specialists should then draw up learning program me that include identification of any additional available resources that are considered necessary in order to implement the program me. The parents should be fully consulted throughout this process. This program me should be the subject of regular reviews, leading to revisions of the learning program me and referral for specialist review, as necessary.
In the case of pupils identified at an early age as having very significant special educational needs, intervention at stage III will be necessary on their entry to school. Support in the classroom will be an essential component of any learning program me devised for such pupils, and primary responsibility for the pupil will remain with the class teacher, in consultation with the learning support/resource /or resource teacher
Provision of support by the resource teachers
" Conduct initial diagnostic assessments of each student who has been identified as having a low incidence learning disability,
" Identify priority learning targets for each pupil
" Note details of the pupil's learning profile to date
" Record pupil observations on the yard and in the class room as the pupil's needs require
" Prepare a weekly plan and progress record for each pupil
" Monitor and record progress , short term objectives, learning targets and observations
" Review progress at the end of each instructional term
" Regularly liaise with SNAs regarding pupils behaviour and progress in class and on yard
Planning and assessment: I.E.P's include
" Details of the pupil's name, age and class
" Current teachers
" Assessment details
" Strengths areas of difficulty
" Relevant information
" Interviews with other partners in education
" Whether the sessions are individual or group
" Learning targets
Professional development:
The staff is supported in their professional development in this area of special educational needs through our local education centre in Enniscorthy, the S.E.S.S and various in-service courses.
Special needs assistants:
The S.N.A. is hired to assist the pupils with their specific educational disability .The duties of S.N.A's are of a non teaching nature and will include any special assistance that the individual pupil might require.
Transfer to post primary school:
A transfer report, including I.E.P.s will be provided to the post primary school to assist with a smooth transition for our pupils where possible, a meeting will be arranged with the new school to discuss the pupil's needs at the end of the school year.
In class support
On occasion the resource teacher may have in class support activities where he or she works with pupils not on his or her case load.
SEN Planning and Management at School Level
According to Circular 24/03:
Although children with SEN may learn at a different pace and in a different way from other children, they need to belong to a peer group and to mix with children of different abilities in a variety of situations. Research on mixed ability teaching illustrates that children of lower ability benefit greatly and children of average or above ability are not academically disadvantaged. However, the practice has developed in recent years of using resource hours for individual tuition only. An exclusive reliance on this approach is contrary to the principle of integration in teaching and learning. Wherever possible, schools should provide additional help for children in the mainstream classroom or, if necessary, in small groups. This will also have the effect of minimising the disruption to the normal class programme that can happen if individual children are being withdrawn at different times for tuition.
Although resource teaching allocations have been sanctioned on the basis of individual applications, the overriding principle is that the resources be deployed in the manner that best meets the needs of the pupils with special needs in the school.
As with special needs teaching resources principals may, where appropriate, deploy individual SNA resources to support several pupils with special needs. In appropriate circumstances this may involve the deployment of an individual SNA in more than one classroom.
Circular 02/05:
" It is up to the school to decide whether one-to-one or group teaching, or a mix of both, is the best type of support for each individual pupil, depending on the nature of their needs.
Implementation and Review
The implementation of this policy will commence in December 2011. It will be reviewed in December 2015 and thereafter at the end of every third school year, or as circumstances may warrant.