Learning support
At Gympie Central State School students who are
identified by their classroom teacher as requiring further Learning support are
referred to the Student Support Services Committee (SSS). Our SSS Committee is
composed of the Principal, Support Teachers, SWD Teacher and Guidance
Counsellor. Class teachers will have
implemented their own interventions and adjustments, and documented
observations and results. Using this information the committee discusses
individual cases, seeks further advice from relevant specialists and makes
recommendations on the basis of this. Programs are then designed to meet the
needs of individual students and are implemented by Classroom Teachers, Support
Teachers and Teacher Aides in small group or one on one sessions. Sessions may
be weekly or daily depending on the program and the students’ need. For more
information see Teaching and Learning under the Curriculum tab.
Students with disabilities (SWD)
At Gympie Central State School we provide a range of
supports and services for students with a Verified Disability. Classroom
teachers are responsible for teaching all students in their class, with support
from the SWD Teacher. The SWD teacher only works with students who have been
verified by the Department of Education and Training (DET). Verification is the
name of the process where DET determines whether a student’s disability meets
the criteria in one or more of the categories listed below. Before Verification
takes place, specialised assessment or diagnosis needs to occur through the Student
Support Services Committee. Some assessment or diagnosis can be completed by
school personnel and some needs to be completed by specialists outside the
school. This is the first stage of the Education Adjustment Program.
Categories for verification are:
- Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Intellectual
Impairment (II)
- Speech
Language Impairment (SLI)
- Hearing
Impairment (HI)
- Visual
Impairment (VI)
- Physical
Impairment (PI).
The Education Adjustment Program (EAP) is the process
used by the DET to identify and respond to the needs of students with
disabilities. The EAP is a way of collecting information about the particular
needs of students with disabilities.
As appropriate, our class teachers adjust their planning,
teaching, assessing and reporting so students with disabilities can access the
curriculum, achieve learning outcomes and fully participate in school
life. The SWD Teacher collaborates with
Classroom Teachers and assists in designing curriculum that is flexible and
responsive to the individual needs of the students.
Students who meet the criteria are supported by the SWD Teacher
and Teacher Aides at scheduled times throughout the week. In addition, if students require support from
external services and are eligible, advisory services are available and
accessed. These services include Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech
Language Therapy and Guidance Counselling.