« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Consultation on the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004
Draft Code of Practice
Reference: Additional Support Needs - 02
ANNEX A
SCENARIOS TO ILLUSTRATE PARTICULAR POINTS
This section is currently being developed. In the final Code, these scenarios will be referred to throughout the text to illustrate particular points.
Adrian
Adrian is in primary four. His teacher and parents have noticed that he has made a slow start with learning to read, and his teacher is considering whether there is something in the learning environment which is a factor and what alternative teaching approaches may help him to make better progress. She asks the learning support teacher is to work with Adrian and to suggest some alternative teaching strategies that may help. The learning support teacher notes that Adrian has difficulties sequencing letters and spelling four and five letter words. Adrian practices very hard with his group, spelling words both in class and for his homework, but becomes upset and frustrated when he can't spell correctly at class "test time". Adrian also tells his teacher he finds it difficult and uncomfortable to hold his pencil for any length of time.
The learning support teacher and class teacher together draw up a programme to address his difficulties and this is discussed with Adrian and his parents. His class teacher uses materials with him to "make and play" with letters, helps him to identify and sequence the letters to make his words, and reassures and encourages him. She gives him the materials to take home and practice with. She also gives him an individualised spelling programme to use on the computer and fits a special rubber grip to be used on his thicker sized pencil. A review in two months establishes that these steps have been sufficient to address Adrian's additional support needs.
Amy
Amy is 15 and attends a special school run by the local authority. Her additional support needs arise from factors affecting her disability and health. Amy has cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs. She is non-verbal and communicates through gesture, eye - pointing and vocalisation. Amy has epileptic seizures and needs to be fed via a gastronomy three times a day. These factors are complex and have a significant adverse effect on her education.
As well as support from education Amy needs support from health. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy all contribute to her educational planning as well as providing individual therapy programmes for her.
In order to help her make progress with her learning Amy has a co-ordinated support plan.
Working together with Amy and her family, the team of therapists, nominated school staff, and co-ordinated support plan co-ordinator prepare and agree a co-ordinated support plan. Working together the multi-agency educational objectives are broken down into smaller steps and then reviewed on a regular basis. A yearly review date for the coordinated support plan is agreed.
Dean
Dean is 13 and attends a mainstream secondary school. He had poor attendance when he was at primary school. He was involved in drug offences, abuse of alcohol and the stealing of cars. Dean has also run away from home and this in turn has led him to being involved with the police.
Dean's parents have split up and he spends his holidays and week-ends with his father who has alcohol problems. Dean has an unsettled relationship with him. These issues have contributed to his behaviour being disruptive both in school and in the local community. For his personal safety and the safety of others Dean sometimes needs to be restrained.
Dean's additional support needs arise from the social and emotional factors affecting his behaviour and learning both in and out of school. Since starting secondary school he has been attending on a regular basis. His behaviour occasionally gives rise for concern, but he is doing well in his class subjects and has shown a particular talent in Art and Technical He wants to study for six standard grades.
Dean has a Care Plan and this is used to inform his personal learning planning. His home-school link social worker, nominated secondary teacher, and relevant subject specialist teachers meet with Dean and his parents and agree how they will plan and work together so that he can sit his chosen standard grade examinations
Kalim
18 months before Kalim's school leaving date, Kalim, his teacher, social worker and educational psychologist start to plan and investigate options for post-school provision. This includes school/college link courses and work placements. Kalim agrees on a key worker/mentor who will liaise with his Co-ordinated Support Plan co-ordinator.
His Personal Communication Passport is updated, aided by his speech and language therapist. This is then used to help all people concerned with Kalim know how best to help him to express himself and his views. This is used at meetings and then with his fellow students as he started on a one day per week transition placement at his local college.
Paul
Paul is in P7. His additional support needs arise from his disability. He has cerebral palsy which affects the lower half of his body. He is independently mobile and manages to get around his primary school by using sticks. When he is tired he needs to use a manual wheelchair. He follows a daily individual physiotherapy programme. Paul is in a special primary school but is transferring to his local mainstream secondary school
Paul's class teacher wants to make sure that his daily therapy programme supporting his disability is incorporated into his secondary timetable.
Paul, his parents, and his physiotherapist visit his secondary school With his class he also takes part in the primary/secondary induction days. His primary 7 class teacher liaises with his first year subject specialist teachers and plan his therapy input. Consulting with nominated secondary staff Paul's physiotherapist develops a programme where his therapy needs can be carried out as part of his daily class activities
Zhenya
Zhenya is 11 years old and he is an only child. His family are asylum seekers from Russia. He attends a mainstream primary school where he also gets additional language support from the Bilingual Unit.
Zhenya enjoys school and is confident in the Bilingual Unit but in a larger group he becomes easily distracted.
Zhenya has a speech impediment. He started stammering at the age of two and spent time in a sanatorium in Russia receiving treatment for his stammer. In school he works with the speech and language therapist once a week.
His class teacher has recently noticed that when he does not understand instructions given to him he becomes upset, and his stammering becomes more pronounced.
The speech and language therapist, Zhenya's class and EAL teacher and Zhenya talk to his parents. The parents tell them that two of Zhenyas' male cousins aged three and eight have recently arrived from Russia to live with them.
Zhenya's additional support needs arise from a change in family circumstances.
Together they plan strategies for Zhenya to identify and cope with stressful situations. They encourage him to use breathing techniques and drink water to calm himself before and during activities.
With Zhenya they compile a personal diary where he can write and talk about his experiences in school, at home and when he is playing.
« Previous | Contents | Next »