Inclusive Education at Rathkeale College

Special Educational Needs Coordinator

The Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Mrs Susan Jonas, heads the Learning Support department at Rathkeale College. The role of this department is to provide assistance for students in mainstream classes and to be an advocate for students to ensure they can access the curriculum, enabling them to reach their full potential. 

Contact Mrs Jonas: susan.jonas@trinityschools.nz

 

SENCo

Learning Support

At Rathkeale College, we are committed to helping all our students succeed. We realise that our students’ learning needs are diverse and that some students require additional support to meet their potential. We make provision for the learning and wellbeing needs of our diverse learners through our Inclusive Education programmes.

Learning needs are identified through AsTTle and PAT testing, feedback from contributing schools, teacher observation and any educational assessments provided by parents.

Students who require extra assistance in core areas such as literacy and numeracy, may be supported in a number of ways:

  • In the junior school we have an option class called Foundation Skills. In this class, small groups of students work with teachers and teacher aides in targeted areas of need.
  • Rathkeale College funds teacher aides who assist students across a variety of subject areas and year levels. The role of the teacher aide is to give support to students who have diagnosed learning disorders as well as to assist lower ability students to develop independence in their learning.
  • An Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be required to meet acute needs. These plans outline adapted programmes, and/or learning environment as well as specialist equipment or materials that will be used to ensure the student can fully access the curriculum.
  • As students enter their NCEA years, we look towards providing them with the support they need to fairly demonstrate their abilities. Where appropriate, an application for Special Assessment Condition/s is made to NZQA. These include any combination of: access to a reader and/or writer, extra time and separate accommodation for assessments.

Gifted and Talented

Gifted and talented students are provided for through personalised learning in class. We provide learning opportunities to target the abilities and interests of identified gifted and talented students. We use a combination of enrichment and extension to differentiated teaching and learning within mainstream classes as well as enrichment opportunities outside the classroom.

 

Differentiation for gifted and talented students, includes:

  • Breadth, which involves the introduction of additional material beyond the core curriculum, enabling students to compare and contrast, to locate their learning in a wider context and to make connections between different areas of learning.
  • Depth, which is achieved by asking students to delve deeper into a given subject or topic and may come as a result of working closely on one text/problem/artefact or by introducing additional knowledge/concepts/skills.
  • Pace refers to speed in covering the curriculum and can result in achievement at a level exceptional for the age range.
  • Enrichment opportunities outside the normal classroom are also offered, which enable young people to widen their experience and develop specific skills. Some of these opportunities will be linked to the curriculum, whilst others will be ‘one-off’ events and visits.