Learning Support
Clapham Primary endeavours to provide a safe, supportive, welcoming and culturally inclusive education environment for all students with consideration of the following factors:
- Students bring diverse resources and needs to the classroom
- Teachers need a repertoire of flexible practices
- Teachers bring experience, expertise and professionalism to student learning
- Teachers make a difference
- A non-deficit approach to students is essential by acknowledging and valuing their diverse socio-cultural, language and ethnic background
- The school has procedures in place to support all students
- Families are of prime importance in supporting learning and behaviour plans for all students
At Clapham Primary, the Student Review Team (SRT) (the Deputy Principal, the Literacy Co-ordinator, EALD Teacher, Teacher representative from each team and Student Support Officer) supports teachers in the provision, review and continuous improvement of appropriate programs to meet individual student needs. Students who are identified by the SRT access targeted support through a wide range of programs.
Sometimes this additional targeted support can occur in a withdrawal setting (ie: MiniLit, MultiLit, Quicksmart) or within the context of regular classroom activities.
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English and Additional Languages/Dialects (EALD)
Australia is a culturally diverse nation and the key to the success of Australian multiculturalism is inclusiveness. The South Australian Education Department provides an English as a Second Language program to schools when there is a gap between the students language level required for success at each year level of schooling.
The EALD program in schools supports intensive English language sessions for students with a language other than English. It aims to maximize student participation in all areas of the curriculum as well as building their knowledge, skills and understanding of their world.
At Clapham Primary, the EALD teacher works flexibly and collaboratively within the school to maximize student learning and wellbeing.
Therefore support is provided:
- in the student’s classroom
- in small group settings
This improves student’s participation, confidence, English language skills and provides better outcomes for them in the future.
Learning Enrichment
Classroom teachers cater to the individual needs of gifted students within the class teaching and learning program.
At times, identified groups of students across the school may be extended in co-curricular activities to enrich their learning experiences. There are many extra-curricular opportunities for all students to pursue their areas of expertise and passions.
Literacy Intervention
Programs include:
- MiniLit (‘Meeting initial needs in literacy’) is designed to be delivered daily, for one hour, to small groups of up to four Year 1 and 2 students who have struggled to make adequate progress in learning to read.
- MultiLit (‘Making up lost time in literacy’) is an evidence-based literacy program that includes all the key components necessary for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
- The Gillon Phonological Awareness Training Program is an intensive program accessed by Reception children who need extra support in this literacy skill.
Numeracy Intervention
Programs include:
- The QuickSmart mathematics intervention program targets students from Years 5 to 7 and is designed to improve automaticity and speed of retrieval for basic arithmetic facts.
Special Options
Children with a disability or special needs must be given the same opportunities for education as other children. At Clapham Primary we are fortunate to have two Special Options Classes, catering for students with special needs from across the Southern Adelaide Region and adjacent regions, in addition to our mainstream classes.
Our Special Options Classes provide an educational option for students with a disability who require significantly modified curriculum support. All students of the Special Options Class may have an intellectual disability and may also have additional disabilities/impairments of a physical, sensory and/or communicative nature. These classes have a smaller number of students than mainstream classes, R-2 with 8 students and Years 3-7 with 12 students.
Students in our Special Options Classes access all specialist subjects and are included in school events such as Sports Day and Assemblies. Students in these classes also integrate with mainstream classes whenever possible, being involved in the School Production, Growth & Development sessions, and excursions or incursions, etc.
Placement in a Special Options Class is determined using a state-wide process based on eligibility criteria and is dependent on available vacancies. The Department for Education psychologist is the only professional authorised to make recommendations regarding placement in a Special Options Class. Parents/Caregivers are also involved in the approval process.
Transport assistance will be available to families who meet National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) criteria.
Students with Disabilities/Learning Difficulties
The Department for Education’s Inclusive Education Support Program (IESP) is a functional needs-based funding model for South Australian government preschool and school students with disability. The program’s name and eligibility criteria reflect its inclusive approach and principles.
According to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘functional needs’ refers to the supports/skill development that a person needs to enable them to participate in activities on the same basis as their peers.
Funding is allocated to children and students in mainstream preschools and schools based on the documented adjustments that are described by teachers in their personalised learning, known as a One Child One Plan (OCOP), to address their functional needs, rather than their disability diagnosis or label.