Special Needs Report

The Principal is required to:

• • Identify students at risk of not achieving and students who are gifted and talented and implement teaching and learning strategies to address needs.

Identified Students

• • Each fortnight at Special Care Meeting Kaz, Graeme and Chicky meet to discuss  children who are at risk of not meeting the National Standard in Literacy and Numeracy.

  • Teachers have been asked to identify in their planning a group of target children also.

  • We also discuss at this meeting which children may need extra support over and above their classroom programmes. Kaz’s programme is timetabled around these needs so it may be a Literacy or Numeracy Group/individual that she works with. Her timetable needs to be flexible and specific to the needs of who she is working with.

  • We rely on class teachers to ensure they know their learner therefore their planning should reflect specific needs of children who are at risk of not achieving a National Standard.

  • Planning checks, walkthroughs, viewing of children’s books, regular assessment all contribute towards ensuring we are clear about children requiring extra support.

  • We have identified and are monitoring four gifted and talented Students:  Maia Harris, Te Owai, Simone, Danielle (reading).

Children with a high level of Special Needs

• • The Ministry of Education’s Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding contributes towards covering the cost of a teacher aide for the children that have high needs. Each child also comes with a small amount for resources and consumables. Funding is allocated to employ a teacher aide but also measured to ensure other costs are covered such as holiday pay and overtime for camps, Individual Education Plan meetings and other school excursions or meetings that a teacher aide may be required to attend.

  • We currently have six ORS funded children, one high health needs student and a child funded by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Some children are also funded through other avenues such as Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), Child Youth and Family Services (CYFS), Interim Response Fund (IRF), Learning Support Fund (LSF), English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) and the Ministry of Education’s Group Special Education. These are usually short term funding solutions while a child transitions or they are assessed further. All children continue to be mainstreamed with Kaz (Special Educational Needs Coordinator)(SENCO) supporting teacher aides and teachers. The Ministry of Education in Kaikohe provides support with Individual Education Plans, applications and development of learning programmes.

Data

• • At the beginning of the year we identified the children at risk of not reaching the National Standard by the end of the year:

Reading

Writing

Maths

What teaching and learning strategies are being implemented to address their needs?

Reading

• • In Literacy we are involved in Professional Learning  for Written Language specifically.

  • Resource Teacher  Literacy referrals are being made so that a few children at risk are taught on a one to one basis.

  • Appropriate grouping for Literacy  to ensure that class programmes target the specific needs that are identified through assessment.

  • Literacy budget is generous to ensure resources are available and useful.

Maths

• • In Maths we are completing ALIM (Accelerated Learning in Maths) this involves Kaz training to teach and accelerate the Maths learning of a specific group of Senior learners.

  • We continue to have Maths facilitator Donna Yates visit, observe, share knowledge and ideas

  • Appropriate grouping for Maths to ensure that class programmes target the specific needs that are identified through assessment

  • Using a more specific assessment tool

  • Maths block has been increased particularly for Seniors