Staff at Cleveland State School recognise that individual students will need different types of support at different times as they undertake their education journey. A special needs committee exists at Cleveland State School to guide the support options available for students who encounter difficulties in accessing the learning program because of some sort of inhibitor that impacts on their learning.
Support can be directed towards students who are identified as performing either significantly below or significantly above expectations. A deputy principal, the support teacher, literacy and numeracy, guidance officer and Special Education Program teacher form the core of the committee. Classroom teachers, Advisory Visiting Teachers (AVTs), parents and external support providers also help guide committee decisions and recommendations.
Parent permission is obtained before any student is referred to the special needs committee and parents are kept informed of any committee recommendations and actions.
The committee makes recommendations that may see students accessing any of the following services:
Learning support
The support teacher, literacy and numeracy can work with teachers and students to support student learning.
Types of support can include:
co-operative planning with teachers
needs based resourcing
1 on 1 or small group support in classrooms
support through structured programs such as 'Rainbow Reading' or 'Words Their Way'.
Guidance officer
The guidance officer can provide counselling services or cognitive assessments and often acts as a liaison between the school and outside agencies (e.g. paediatricians).
Behaviour support
AVTs can provide support for students and/or teachers when student behaviour is considered a key factor in student underachievement. AVT’s help develop behaviour support plans after close consultation with parents, teachers, relevant external agencies and members of the school administration team.
Speech and language
All Prep students are assessed for oral language and identified students are supported through small group instruction or focused 1 on 1 support through Prep and Year 1. Other students are supported on a needs basis. Speech and language specialists also provide professional development opportunities for staff.
Inclusion
Students with a disability are fully integrated into mainstream classes and supported by an inclusion teacher and teacher aides. Personal learning plans are developed for each student to ensure individual needs are supported.
School chaplain
The school chaplain offers students opportunities for informal discussions. Students seeking ongoing support need to obtain parent permission.