Specialist Teacher
As part of our commitment to meeting the diverse needs of our pupil’s, Hope High school commission a Specialist Teacher and Speech and Language Therapist to provide a high-quality individualised and specialist learning support service to the young people in school.
They work in close collaboration with each other and with our established provision within school, to ensure that a holistic approach to supporting all pupil’s needs is provided.
Joanne Gladders: Specialist Teacher
As the Specialist Teacher at Hope High school, I have a varied role that fundamentally is to enhance the learning of our young people in school and to support staff in this process.
The role takes place at many levels within the school. Key elements of the role include:
Assessment
- On entry assessment to unpick any underlying areas that could impact on the acquisition of reading skills and the processing of information skills.
- Working with staff to unpick entry data such as the Dyslexia Screening results, Cognitive Ability Tests and Accelerated Reader information. This produces a full picture of potential difficulties and strengths that can be addressed or utilised in learning.
- Complete any learning assessment required as identified through EHCP and internal discussions. For example, looking at reasons for difficulties in retaining information, cognitive assessments, unpick further difficulties identified in reading acquisition difficulties.
- As a fully qualified assessor with an Assessment Practicing Certificate, full diagnostic assessments for Specific Learning Difficulty – Dyslexia are also carried out as appropriate within school.
Intervention
- For some pupils, direct work is carried out that focuses in on specific elements that require intense, specialist input.
Support for Staff
- Close liaison with the school SENCO and Lead Teachers to discuss individual pupil needs and to consider provision in place.
- Overseeing and working alongside the Intervention staff for English and Mathematics. For English, this includes reviewing intervention, support for implementation and the setting of specific, tailored, measurable targets.
- Providing specific training as identified by the school.
- Supporting staff in adapting teaching to meet the needs of individual pupils as appropriate to meet need.
