Godolphin&Latymer
Individual Learning Policy
Reviewer: AC and SK / reviewed June 2012; next review date July 2013
Individual Learning Policy The school takes very seriously its commitment to educate every girl who is able to take up a place, and to meet the learning needs of all through a balanced, stretching and stimulating curriculum which is accessible to all, whatever their learning profile and needs. We aim to treat each girl as an individual with a unique profile of talents, strengths and weaknesses, of interests, aptitudes and preferences. We aim to espouse teaching methodologies which enable these profiles to be accommodated in ways which vary from the structural (eg ability divisions) to the subtle (eg question types), enabling the strongest students to be stretched and the weaker ones to be supported, in order for all to reach their potential in all areas of the curriculum. We consider all students at the school to be gifted and talented, although all are not equally talented in all spheres. At the same time we recognise that in any class there will be a range of abilities and there will also be variation between abilities at different tasks. Teachers should be willing to explore ways of minimising and substituting tasks for students whose learning profiles make these tasks unproductive or unduly onerous, for example allowing an alternative response format for those who struggle to complete extensive written tasks. Suggestions for ways of reducing the burden for such students are provided by the Individual Learning Coordinator and are available in the Staff handbook. The Individual Learning Coordinator, who holds a qualification in teaching children with Specific Learning Difficulties, works with teaching colleagues to ensure that provision for such students is appropriately targeted. This may be through the medium of wholeschool, departmental or student-focused INSET or through individual conversation. However, much responsibility in this respect is devolved onto departments and individual subject staff are expected to make reasonable adjustments for girls’ learning needs and, to a lesser extent, preferences. The Individual Learning Coordinator maintains a list of pupils with individual learning needs which all teachers are required to consult at the beginning of each academic year. This list is available through iSAMS and an updated list is emailed to all staff as a text document at the beginning of each term. Each girl’s entry gives a summary of her principal difficulties; where appropriate there will be a hyperlink to more detailed information about the pupil’s difficulties and strategies to help her to overcome them. Updates are regularly made and all relevant teachers are notified of findings after an assessment. All girls on the Individual Learning Support list are normally seen at least twice each year; those with more pervasive needs may have a weekly lesson, either in a lunch break or Assembly slot or through withdrawal from a timetabled lesson. Extra support lessons for subject-specific needs (for example, individual MFL listening sessions for a lip-reading
deaf pupil) are provided as needed. Sixth formers may also be recruited on a voluntary basis to help girls who need extra support in practical lessons. It is recognised that some students may struggle with certain subject areas and tasks. Where this happens, the student is encouraged to focus on the essentials and to develop their skills progressively. It is understood that relatively low current attainment indicates a need for differentiation in the short-term but does not entail low long-term expectations. All students in UIII (Year 7) have some initial contact with the Individual Learning Coordinator through timetabled form period time in which some basic study skills are covered. These include aspects of organisation (use of homework diary, filing, time management), note-making and revision skills and also introduce some metacognitive skills, focusing on individual learning styles and preferences and awareness of difference. Where it is felt (by pupil, parents or teachers) that a pupil is experiencing barriers to learning because of her learning profile, an in-depth individual assessment may be carried out. Depending on the presenting problems, the assessment is likely to look at memory for auditory and visual material, reading (for words, non-words and passages of text), spelling and writing skills and phonological skills. Visual-motor skills, handwriting speed and perceptual organisation may also be assessed, as may vocabulary and nonverbal reasoning. No charge is made for assessment. The assessment is written up and reports circulated to parents, form staff and section heads. In some cases, where an assessment is inconclusive or the problem does not lie within the expertise of the Individual Learning Coordinator, a referral is made on to an Educational Psychologist or other relevant professional. The Individual Learning Coordinator has responsibility, in tandem with the Director of Studies, for baseline testing. All UIII girls sit the CEM MidYIS test in their first term and this information is used to give a snapshot of the ability of the year-group as well as to measure value-added to GCSE. Due to reservations about the validity of such testing, this data is not extensively exploited on an individual level, but it is used to inform monitoring of girls’ progress and target-setting without individual scores being divulged to girls or parents. In 2010-11 we piloted the use of two further baseline tests – INSIGHT and ALIS – which give an update of scores and enable tracking of progress and pupils’ relative standing. The timing of the INSIGHT test in particular offers a possibility of identifying girls whose progress may have fallen away over time so that we can look closely at the potential reasons for this. INSIGHT also enables us to look at understanding and development of curriculum-related skills in reading, maths and science, which we can use to ‘triangulate’ with the developed abilities score and with results in school examinations. Among other benefits, this helps to ensure that girls are appropriately setted for maths and science at GCSE. Both ALIS and INSIGHT provide predictive data forward to ALevel/IB and GCSE respectively and the use of this data will be explored further in the year 2012-13.
Individual Learning Needs/LDD Individual learning needs arise when aspects of a pupil’s profile and/or abilities necessitate adjustments in teaching in order to enable the pupil to access the curriculum. Individual learning needs can derive from a child’s cognitive
profile
or
from
a
sensory
impairment,
physical
disability
or
problem of physical or mental health. Every
child
with
individual
learning
needs
is
entitled
to
individual
consideration. Pupils with Specific Learning Differences A number of pupils in each year have specific learning differences such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D. Information on such learning profiles is available in the Staff Handbook appendices and staff are expected to familiarise themselves with these, whilst considering each student as an individual whose profile will vary. A brief synopsis of each student’s learning needs, together with compensating strengths, is maintained on iSAMS and all staff are required to consult this at the beginning of the year. (An alternative text document is also circulated termly to all teaching staff.) Further information can be obtained from the Individual Learning Coordinator, who will also distribute information in the course of the year relating to newly-assessed students and particular problems reported by students on the list. Physical Disability and Access: The School is committed to enhancing its accessibility to children with disabilities who have the academic skills to thrive within the school community. Admissions: We welcome applications from all pupils who can benefit from the opportunities that we offer, as long as we can provide them with the support they need. We are committed to enabling all pupils to realise their potential, although we do not have the facilities to offer intensive or highly-specialised remediation work. Pupils who have an Educational Psychologist’s or Specialist Teacher’s report or medical evidence attesting to their need for special arrangements are allowed concessions in the entrance papers. Such concessions may include: •
extra time
•
use of a computer
•
separate accommodation with a dedicated invigilator
•
rest breaks
Individual Learning Needs and access to the curriculum: Teachers are encouraged to consider a range of learning styles and needs when planning and delivering lessons. Where appropriate, adjustments are made in terms of teaching methods, response formats, tasks and assessments for pupils with individual learning needs.
Some pupils may benefit from a modified curriculum, although it is anticipated that almost all pupils accepted into the school will be supported in accessing the full range of subjects. Such modifications are always the outcome of discussions involving parents and are not undertaken unilaterally by the school. Individual support is offered in specific subjects where the pupil is unable to access the curriculum in the expected way: for example recorded materials can be replaced by a live speaker for hearing-impaired pupils. Older girls may help younger pupils develop skills or act as ‘hands’ in practical subjects such as technology and PE. Where time constraints allow, the Individual Learning Coordinator offers support for pupils experiencing difficulties in their studies. This may take the form of help with study skills (eg organisation, note-making, revision techniques, essay-writing) or more general academic counselling. No charge is made for such support. It is, however, usually timelimited and specific rather than open-ended and on-going throughout a girl’s whole school career. In order to cope with the high academic demands of our curriculum, girls must be fluent English speakers. We are unable to provide tuition in English as a second language.
Access Arrangements for examinations Pupils with diagnosed SpLD and other learning differences impacting on ability to work in timed conditions will be eligible for access arrangements in public examinations in accordance with the JCQ guidelines. An up to date assessment report detailing scores below a specified level in speed/cognitive processing or memory tasks, and a history and evidence of need, are required to support such arrangements. Concessions may involve allowance of up to 50% extra time, use of a laptop computer and/or individual accommodation for examinations. Other adjustments will be made to reflect the candidate’s normal way of working, for example, a deaf candidate can have modern language listening components read aloud to enable lip reading. All such concessions are also allowed in school examinations, including entry procedures. A. Clark Individual Learning Coordinator