on
Special Education Needs
Aim:
Every child, regardless of ability, shall be enabled to achieve his/her fullest potential, at his/her own rate, and have access to the full school curriculum.
The school shall provide a safe, friendly and hospitable atmosphere in which pupils will be encouraged to develop all of their talents and become confident, capable adults, well-prepared to meet the challenge of a rapidly changing society. Due regard will be given to social as well as academic development.
It is the general principal of
Current Position:
Under the Special Education Guidelines 02/05, as set down by the Department of Education & Science,
We have extra hours of Low Incidence allocation and Breaking the Cycle Scheme.
Assessment:
Every effort will be made to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each pupil at the earliest possible stage, in order to allow teaching priorities to be put into place to ensure that each child attains his/her maximum potential. From first class on, each pupil will be formally tested using the Micra T and Sigma T standardised tests. If a child is identified as underachieving, the school psychologist will be consulted and further screening will take place.
All pupils over the age of six and a half years will be assessed using the NRIT system of testing (Non Reading Intelligence Test). This will allow us to identify those whose IQ is below 80 and who may need to be referred to the psychologist. By comparing these results to the standardised attainment test results (Micra T and Sigma T), pupils who are underachieving can be identified and remedial action taken. Pupils identified as gifted may also be more readily accommodated.
Refer to Assessment Policy of Eglish National School for further details.
General Allocation:
The General Allocation provides additional teaching resources to assist schools in making appropriate provision for;
- Pupils who are eligible for learning support teaching.
Priority will be given to pupils whose achievement is at or below the 10th percentile on standardised tests of reading or mathematics.
- Pupils with learning difficulties, including pupils with mild speech and language difficulties, pupils with mild social or emotional difficulties and pupils with mild co-ordination or attention control difficulties associated with identifies conditions such as dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD.
Pupils with conditions such as dyspraxia, ADD and ADHD who have been assessed as being in the low incidence category, will continue to receive an individual allocation of support through the relevant Special Education Needs Organiser.
- Pupils whose achievement is at or above 95th percentile on standardised tests, Sigma and Micra.
- Pupils who have special educational needs arising from high incidence disabilities (borderline mild general learning disability, mild general learning disability and specific learning disability).
Most of the pupils described above will receive additional teaching support in the classroom or in small withdrawn groups in addition to the support they receive from the class teacher. However, some pupils may also require intensive additional one-to-one teaching support.
Support will be provided as follows:
Learning Support: - 1. In the classroom
2. In small groups
3. Individual basis.
Partners: - 1. Principal Teacher
2. Class Teacher
3. Support Teacher
4. Special Needs Assistant
5. Parents
Step 1: Identify ALL the pupils in need of additional teaching support, both learning-support
teaching and resource teaching and including pupils who have special educational
needs arising from high-incidence and low-incidence disabilities.
Step 2: Identify the level of intervention required on the basis of the pupils’ learning needs
(stage 11 or stage 111).
Depending on the nature of the pupils’ needs, a decision will be made as to the best
type of support for each individual pupil. This may be in class, in groups (withdrawal)
or on a one-to-one basis; or a combination of all three.
Step 3: Identify the members of the teaching staff who will be allocated to the identified pupils.
Step 4: Allocate the identified teaching staff to the pupils, and allocate the time allotted to each
under the following:
A group
Within the class
Individually
Step 5: The Support Teacher will liaise with the class teacher, the parent and the Special Needs
Assistant (if applicable) to devise a suitable learning programme for each pupil and
the strategies involved.
Step 6: Establish a tracking and recording system to ensure that a record is maintained of all
pupils who are receiving additional teaching support and of their progress in response
to the established interventions.
As suggested in the 02/05 Special Education Circular by the Department of Education & Science,
3-Staged Approach to Assessment, Identification and Planning.
Stage 1:
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.
If concern remains after a number of reviews and adaptations to the plan, the learning support/resource teacher in the school may be consulted about the desirability of intervention at Stage 2.
Stage 2:
If intervention is considered necessary, then the pupil should be referred to the learning support/resource teacher, with the 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 programme, which would include appropriate interventions for implementation in the home, in the classroom and during supplementary teaching.
The rate of progress of each pupil receiving supplementary teaching should be reviewed regularly in consultation with the parents. Some pupils who continue to present with significant learning needs will require more intensive intervention at Stage 3.
Stage 3:
Eglish National 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.
Such special advice may be sought from psychologists, paediatricians, speech and language therapist, audiologists, etc.
In the case of pupils identified at an early age as having very significant special educational needs, intervention at Stage 3 will be necessary on their entry to school. Support in the classroom will be and essential component of any learning programme devised for such pupils, and primary responsibility for the pupil will remain with the class teacher; in consultation with the learning support and/or resource teacher.