Turriff Academy is a school which recognises, welcomes, values and supports a diversity of abilities, interests, talents, background and needs in an inclusive community. There is a strong commitment to inclusion along with raising standards and a recognition that reconciling these twin goals may not always be straight forward.
Additional Support Needs
Aberdeenshire Council’s policy states that meeting the needs of all learners is the responsibility of all staff. To meet this aim, Additional Support staff engage in their five crucial roles:
- Consultancy/liaison with subject and guidance staff.
- Team/class teaching
- Pupil tutorial support
- Contributing to staff development
- Providing specialist services
These roles are balanced to impact positively on learning and teaching.
The Additional Support Department aims:
- To promote equal opportunities in education for all pupils.
- To support appropriate education for all pupils according to their age, ability, aptitude and experience.
- To enable pupils to participate in learning and to achieve their potential.
- To assist in developing whole school strategies for overcoming difficulties in learning.
- To provide a secure, friendly and supportive environment.
- To liaise with parents and involve them in the support of their child.
- To respond appropriately to learning needs within the school.
- To raise staff awareness of the difficulties experienced by pupils.
To consult with subject staff, guidance staff and the Senior Management Team in the provision of appropriate learning and teaching strategies and assessment and recording procedures.
To utilise and focus support of external agencies for pupils with additional support needs.
Additional Support Staff contribute to building capacity in learning and teaching with a focus on early intervention, gathering data, conducting assessments and assisting in diagnoses.
To meet the individual needs of a pupil who has social, emotional and behavioural needs is the responsibility of the Additional Support team; they use positive behaviour support strategies to help pupils learn about and understand their difficulties and how to manage their behaviour, relationships and learning.
Pupil Support Assistants (PSAs) are deployed as required to support the needs of individual pupils, groups or classes. This may be in the Additional Support Department or collaboratively in class with department/faculty staff throughout the school.