“Enrichment” is the term we use at Halswell School for learning support. At times during their schooling some students need additional support to accelerate progress in their learning especially in the core areas of reading, writing and maths. This support might be provided by differentiation of the curriculum in class, class, a specific enrichment programme taken by one or our support staff or teachers, or through accessing outside agencies.
Identification of students for enrichment programmes
Our students are at the heart of all we do and knowing their unique strengths, motivators and needs is key in providing the right support for each individual student. Students are identified through a variety of ways including teacher observation, formal and informal assessments and discussions with parents. We then look to developing learning programmes, spaces and environments that will meet the needs of our students and support them to learn effectively. This means we look closely at providing any necessary adaptations, support, intervention, resources or additional time that students may need to enable them to flourish as learners.
Tiers of support
At Halswell School we use a tiered approach to support student learning. This model helps us make suitable adjustments to our teaching and learning programmes and ensures that the right levels of support are in place for our students.
In Class We prioritise knowing our students as learners. This includes understanding their unique strengths and challenges. Using this knowledge we purposely plan learning programmes that are differentiated to meet the needs of different students.
Enrichment Programmes Our knowledge of individual students and regular monitoring of their progress and achievement allows us to identify those who may need additional targeted support to accelerate their learning. Depending on the needs of the learner this could be for a short or longer period of time, be in a small group or an individual, and be led by one of our teacher aides or one of our teachers.
Details change from year to year depending on student need but examples of Tier 2 programmes include:
Five Minute Literacy Box: 1:1 short term support with a teacher aide building letter sound knowledge. Pause, prompt, praise:1:1 short term support with a teacher aide providing extra reading mileage and practise using early reading strategies. Handwriting / Fine motor skills group: A small group programme developing fine motor skills and correct letter formation. Early Literacy Support:A small group programme taken by our Reading Recovery teacher providing targeted literacy support for 5 year olds. Quick 60 Literacy Programme:A small group programme, usually lasting two terms, using a structured literacy approach to accelerate reading and writing progress. Ten Minute Literacy Box: 1:1 short term support with a teacher aide or teacher building digraph knowledge for reading and writing Agility with Sound: 1:1 or small group programme with a teacher aide proving a structured literacy approach to accelerate reading and writing progress. Maths Support:1:1 support with a teacher aide building basic number knowledge in Years 0-4 Spring into Maths:small group programme with a teacher aide for those students who continue to need to build number knowledge in Years 3-8. Mana ake groups:short term small group programme taken by one of the Mana Ake kai mahi developing social and/or personal skills e.g. how to be a good friend, managing big emotions, anxiety etc StepsWeb Programme is a research-proven online literacy programme which originally started in New Zealand and is now used globally. It uses a structured literacy approach.
Individualised Support Some of our students who have significant learning needs will need further intervention to support their learning. This will occur in a 1:1 capacity with a specialised teacher, member of our teacher aide team or an expert from an outside agency.
Details change from year to year depending on student need but examples of Tier 3 programmes include:
Tier 3 Literacy Intervention:Designed to accelerate the progress of six year old readers through intensive daily 1:1 support taken by a specialist teacher. Resource Teachers of Literacy: specialist teachers who work across a cluster of schools providing advice and guidance to classroom teacher and short term specialised teaching to individuals and small groups with literacy difficulties. Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour:specialist teachers who work across a cluster of schools providing advice and guidance to classroom teachers regarding students with learning difficulties. Ministry of Education Learning Support Services: A range of specialists e.g. speech language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists who can provide advice and guidance to classroom teachers regarding students with specific needs in these areas. Teacher aide support: Students with significant ongoing learning needs will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). They may be supported by a teacher aide for part of the day.
