Learning Support -
Working together for your child's future
At The Swinton High School we work very hard to make sure ALL our pupils achieve their individual educational potential. In other words every individual achieves what he or she is capable of achieving. To this end we employ a conscientious and dedicated team of people to look after the interests of children in our care.
Working Together
We aim to involve you, the parents, in the support of your child in school.
We will always -
- Communicate with you by meeting, letter, telephone and pupil planner
- Discuss all aspects of your child’s Support Plans
- Show you our records and explain what they mean
- Ask for and include your views Have an 'open door' to ensure any problems are speedily resolved
- Inform you of changes in support Inform you of progress Inform you of reviews
- Inform you of special arrangements for examination
How do we achieve our aims?
- The Faculty of Student Support conducts individual assessments and uses National Tests to inform us how best to help your child
- We devise, implement and review individual support plans
- We link to the school’s pastoral staff
- We also link with the school’s subject faculties
- We use ICT to accelerate learning whenever we can
- We monitor all aspects of educational performance
- We reward good progress in literacy with certificates
- We offer small group tuition
- Teachers, teaching assistants and learning mentors work with individuals and groups in class
- We apply for grants, use local vocational facilities and bring in extra help when needed
- We counsel and mentor individuals according to their needs
- We provide Retreat where pupils can catch up and be counselled
- We provide Learning Support Units where we can make in-depth assessments, accelerate learning and devise a support programme for pupils with complicated learning needs
The KS3 Learning Support Unit
The Swinton High School Key Stage3 Learning Support Unit (LSU) provides a unique base to help individual pupils better manage their learning/behaviour and social/emotional skills. Working with skilled staff, the pupils can regain confidence in themselves and a belief in their achievements. The LSU is an integral part of the school’s learning and behaviour policies, providing teaching and learning support programmes tailored to the needs of pupils with emotional, social needs and/or challenging behaviour.
The LSU exists to keep pupils in school whilst working on addressing their problems and the aim is to facilitate their reintegration into mainstream classes.
The LSU benefits a wide range of pupils. Including those who:
- Find it difficult to accept sanctions
- Lack self-esteem or confidence
- Find adjusting to new situations difficult – for instance asylum seekers and refugees, and those unable to cope with large schools.
- Have difficult family or social circumstances or who are Looked After Children.
The LSU provides a quality-learning environment as a base, which has space for one to one, tutorial and counselling work, group work. Access to ICT, science laboratories and food tech classrooms is provided to enable specialist teaching in these areas. Work in subjects such as drama, circle time and cooperative learning will emphasise cooperation and collaboration in order to develop social skills.
Nurture Groups
Nurture Groups are small classes in school for children with identified needs. They may be pupils who feel insecure in school or who are in need of more attention than can be provided in their mainstream class.
At The Swinton High School, up to 55 pupils, with very different needs, attend the Nurture Group sessions. These sessions are very carefully planned and intricately organised to match the needs, ages and abilities of all pupils. The provision is highly successful. The work and activities match the pupils’ needs precisely. It is explained to pupils that expectations are very high and the pupils know exactly what is acceptable and what is not. They respond well to this and make good gains in their knowledge and understanding. The pupils know that, whatever their need and whatever their response, they will be helped to overcome the problem and, given time, will settle into the routine of secondary school.
The aims of the Nurture Group are prominent in the daily life of the group: it is successful, with the children currently attending, in helping them to ‘improve their self-esteem and develop confidence, through close, trusting relationships with the adults and children ‘(HMI report Swinton High School, 2004).
This has a real impact on the development of their ability to fit into a Secondary school environment and form positive adult and/or peer relationships. The aims of the Nurture Group are to help pupils to adjust to and operate within any new environment through building their understandings, independence and personal responsibility. The staff running the Nurture Group sessions are always on hand to offer support and guidance.
The school is also hoping to gain a Nurture Kitemark, which is a nationally recognised award, for the work the school carries out with this group of pupils.