At St Thomas we aim to promote healthy self-esteems for all learners.
1- Introduction:
- The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all learners receive the necessary advice, guidance and support in order to enhance their achievement at school.
- St Thomas Aquinas seeks to provide a supportive teaching and learning environment that is responsive to individual learner needs.
- At the same time St Thomas Aquinas recognises that, for a wide variety of reasons, learners may not achieve the academic results of which they are capable. This document outlines the academic support available to all learners.
- The policy also outlines the expectations and responsibilities of educators to identify learners with learning support needs and to direct them to or provide them with appropriate resources.
2 - Purpose Of This Policy:
To maintain a holistic approach to the following:
2.1 An assessment system that works to inform us about learner-risk status—which learners may be having Language/Mathematics or other achievement-related difficulties through phone meetings and case conferences.
2.2 An assessment system that informs us about learner progress within grade level or curriculum standards
2.3 Curriculum support that is evidence-based
2.4 An Individual Education Plan that is based and measured against an existing grade and level appropriate curriculum.
2.5 An understanding about how curricular elements link across tiers and grade levels
2.6 Assurance that our instructional practices are evidence-based
2.7 Staff has a clear sense of what support their learners require and how to implement it early each year.
3 - Ethos & Aims
- All learners will receive advice or information specific to their subjects.
- All Grade 9 learners will receive subject choice guidance which will continue through the FET phase to ensure what is done is on the best interest of the learner.
- The procedures and practices for learner support will reflect the Mission Statement and Values of St Thomas Aquinas.
4 - Acceptance of Learners:
- The admittance policy applies.
Learner Support Grade 8 to 12
This policy ensures that all learners receive advice, guidance and support.
Learner Support Needs
5 - Identification of Learner Support Needs:
- Identification of individual learner needs is the responsibility of the subject educator and register teacher.
- Attendance registers are monitored on a weekly basis.
Learners who fail to attend class regularly are reported to the HOD who will contact the parents / guardian.
- Subject educators will complete an incident report form for learners who fail to submit tasks and / or assessments. Demerits are given as part of an intervention and corrective measure. If 5 demerits are collected, the parent will be notified that the learner has detention. If the problem exists due to learner support required, the HOD will inform the parent.
- Poor assessment outcomes may also be used to identify a learner requires support.
- A learner may seek assistance during a discussion with academic educators and / or the school counselor.
- Case discussions provide an opportunity for the staff to discuss all learners on a regular basis in order to provide information and coordinate a team approach to working with an individual. Any concerns raised can be picked up by the HODs and deputy principal and the necessary referral will be made to the school counsellor with the parents’ permission.
- Round table discussions with parents and staff and the school counsellor are set up if and when the need arises.
Important points to keep in mind:
5.1 Learners causing concern are highlighted or ‘flagged’ by individual educators in the learner profile files and/or discussed during phase meetings. Intervention may be with regard to the individual’s performance and coping within academic, emotional and / or social wellbeing.
5.2 Current intervention is evaluated and further referral decided on. This may take the form of referral for emotional support or academic learner support.
5.3 Ongoing individual contact is made with parents for progress/ feedback about their children.
5.4 The school must keep concrete evidence of on-going support for the learners and monitor progress.
5.5 Accommodation applications are completed and handed to the relevant psychologist.
5.6 Learners without sufficient evidence of experienced barriers to learning may not be retained.
6 -PROCEDURE FOR GETTING SUPPORT:
When an educator and / or mentor has identified that a learner is having trouble the following procedure must be followed:
- Report on the situation to the HOD/ Deputy Principal who will do a thorough investigation into the matter.
- The support required will be implemented by the HOD / Deputy Principal and the parents will be notified.
- Staff are regularly involved in information sharing, as per case discussions, due to the learner being taught by subject teachers and class or register teachers.
- The school counsellor will meet with the deputy principal and HOD on a weekly basis.
- The school counsellor will keep the google sheet up to date- this does not require sharing of information that is confidential. It is a tool used so that the SMT are aware who the counsellor is seeing and follow up meetings needed.
- Support Programmes Available:
- Academic Support Programme
- Holiday Support Programme
- Study skills support
- Library – open at break and in the afternoons for research. Library staff is available throughout library opening hours to give individual assistance and advice to learners.
- School counsellor
- Workshops are offered as and when a need is identified.
- Google classroom – lesson material is available on GC for classes. Additional notes may be made available on this platform. Practice exercises, tests and exams may also be used here.
6.2 Additional Support Programmes Specific to Grades:
- Grade 8:
Parent information evening – January
Parent information afternoons
Gr 8 Orientation programme:Learners are introduced to the school in a Grade 8 orientation program run by the RCL of the high school. This themed two weeks ensures that the grade 8 learners are made to feel welcome in the high school.
Camps – a compulsory camp is set up annually to ensure that the learners spend time together and nurture relationships with peers and their teachers.
Daily devotion and prayerthat offers a time for learners to focus on Christ and the Bible.
Ringing of the bells: a daily time out to sit quietly to ensure that the day does not become overwhelming.
Information booklet specific for Grade 8
WhatsApp learner and parent group for quick information sharing as and when needed.
IBT for Mathematics and English.
- Grade 9:
Parent information evening – January
Parent intervention afternoons
Camps – a compulsory camp is set up annually to ensure that the learners spend time together and nurture relationships with peers and their teachers.
Daily devotion and prayer that offers a time for learners to focus on Christ and the Bible.
Ringing of the bells: a daily time out to sit quietly to ensure that the day does not become overwhelming.
Subject choice psychometric testing
Subject choice information evening
Subject choice feedback from the school counsellor
Subject choice information booklet
Internation Benchmark testing in English and Mathematics
WhatsApp learner and parent group for quick information sharing as and when needed.
- Grade 10:
Parent information evening – January
Parent intervention afternoons
Camps – a compulsory camp is set up annually to ensure that the learners spend time together and nurture relationships with peers and their teachers.
Daily devotion and prayer that offers a time for learners to focus on Christ and the Bible.
Ringing of the bells: a daily time out to sit quietly to ensure that the day does not become overwhelming.
Subject choice psychometric testing
Subject choice information evening
Subject choice feedback from the school counsellor
Subject choice information booklet
Internation Benchmark testing in Critical Thinking
WhatsApp learner and parent group for quick information sharing as and when needed.
- Grade 11:
Parent information evening – January
Parent intervention afternoons
Camps – a compulsory camp is set up annually to ensure that the learners spend time together and nurture relationships with peers and their teachers.
Daily devotion and prayer that offers a time for learners to focus on Christ and the Bible.
Ringing of the bells: a daily time out to sit quietly to ensure that the day does not become overwhelming.
WhatsApp learner and parent group for quick information sharing as and when needed.
Career guidance testing – psychometric testing & psychologist feedback
- Grade 12:
Parent information evening – January
Parent intervention afternoons
Camps – a compulsory camp is set up annually to ensure that the learners spend time together and nurture relationships with peers and their teachers.
Daily devotion and prayer that offers a time for learners to focus on Christ and the Bible.
Ringing of the bells: a daily time out to sit quietly to ensure that the day does not become overwhelming.
WhatsApp learner and parent group for quick information sharing as and when needed.
Career guidance testing
Grade 12 information booklet
7 - Record Keeping & Reporting:
- A register is kept by all staff involved in the support programme.
- Feedback is given to the HODs as and when required. HODs will ensure the confidentiality of the documentation. Documentation is filed in the Ed Lab cards at the end of the academic year for future reference.
- HODs or the deputy principal will contact the parent / guardian should it be necessary.
- SASPAC is the database used for all record keeping.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAM:
Research shows us that it is not possible for a learner to participate in effective learning without proper breaks.
St Thomas Aquinas is mindful of the research on how to make learning effective and as such pushing a learner into extra lesson directly after a full school day from 07h20 to 14h00 and 30 minutes break, will not bring about a desired learning experience.
The attendance registers for extra lessons from 14h00 to 15h00 for the past 3 years have been studied. Attendance during this time is poor except in mathematics.
Based on discussion and research a new approach will be taken for academic support.
The following plan will be in place:
- Weekly extra lessons for mathematics from Grade 8 to 12 as per the extra mural timetable.
- Revision workshops in subjects planned by the teachers and set out in a termly calendar. Parents will sign up their child for the workshop.
- Study workshops that are subject specific. Set out in the termly calendar.
Parents will sign up their child for the study workshop.
- Subject specific workshops with a specific focus area. Set out in the termly calendar.
Parents will sign up their child for the subject specific workshop.
- Test and exam preparation through practice of past tests and exams.
Parents can sign their child up for this plan.
5.1 A past paper book is issued to Gr 8 to 12 mathematics learners. This is ordered and issued by the school.
5.2 Every subject teacher has a file bank of past tests or exams.
- The learner can see the subject teacher to receive a practice paper.
- The learner must do this paper in his / her own time.
- The learner then shows the teacher thecompleted paper he or she has practised and the teacher will issue the memo.
- The learner marks the paper.
- If there is an area the learner battled with, he / she may make an appointment to see the subject teacher for help.
- The teacher will track the papers that the learner has completed. This feedback will be available to the parents.
5.3 The most valuable tool a language teacher has is to ensure that learners read with comprehension.
Language teachers will have a file with a bank of comprehensions that learners can practice.
- The learner can see the language teacher to receive a comprehension.
- The learner must do this comprehension in his / her own time.
- The learner then shows the teacher the completed comprehension he or she has practised and the teacher will issue the memo.
- The learner marks the paper.
- If there is an area the learner battled with, he / she may make an appointment to see the subject teacher for help.
- The teacher will track the comprehensions that the learner has completed. This feedback will be available to the parents.
The aim is to create learners who take ownership of their work.
This skill will assist them in tertiary studies.
- Recommendations for use of apps / links / outside programmes that allow for additional practice in subjects.