Our school's learning and support team is comprised of the principal, executive, school counsellor, learning and support teacher, learning and support coordinator, English as s second language (ESL) teacher, reading recovery teacher and a classroom teacher representative. The function of this team is to address the learning and support needs of students through coordination, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of educational and support programs across the school.
Learning support team
The learning and support team meet once a week to discuss student needs as highlighted by the executive, classroom teachers and support staff. Students are referred to learning support via our school flowchart which focuses on the modification of individual adjustments for the specified student.
We monitor each student's progress and provide additional learning support if this is required. Our school uses learning programs and specialised staff where needed and we work in partnership with parents and carers to assist students who have special learning needs. Our school is committed to working with aboriginal parents and community members in developing personalised plans for our aboriginal students.
Learning and support teacher
The Learning and support teacher will, through the school's learning and support team, provide direct specialist assistance to students with additional learning and support needs and their teachers.
This occurs through a range of strategies including direct instruction, delivery of adjusted learning programs, assessment and monitoring of progress. Covering the areas of social integration language and communication, literacy, numeracy and behaviour.
New arrivals program
Students eligible for English as a Second Language (ESL) support range from those newly arrived in Australia and beginning to learn English, to Australian born students from a non-English speaking background.
ESL instruction aims to:
- recognise stages of English development in each child and plan according to those needs.
- make use of all areas of the curriculum for developing language effectiveness.
- provide experiences of language which utilise children's previous experience (for language learning is continuous
At Darlington Public School our overall objective is to help the students to adjust to life in Australia as teaching them English will enable them to succeed academically, personally and socially in our education system. The aim for children with a learning difficulty is to develop their potential to the best of their ability and ours. The aim for children with an ESL background and is to provide programs to meet the special teaching and learning needs of students from non-English speaking backgrounds.
ESL Integrated learning across the curriculum
Language lessons consist of:
- listening
- speaking
- reading
- writing