Additional Learning Support

Arahoe works within a tiered system of learning support.  School leaders are responsible for the provision of learning support and are guided by the Ministry of Education's directive to support priority learners.  Priority learners are describe as

"...groups of students who have been identified as historically not experiencing success in the New Zealand schooling system. These include many Māori and Pacific learners, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and students with special education needs."  ERO (August 2012)

Tier 1 – Effective Classroom Teaching

Effective classroom teaching involves all students engaging in effective classroom programmes and working with skilled, knowledgeable, and observant teachers. This may look like differentiated classroom programmes that make connections to the student's knowledge and experiences.  Teachers will deliver appropriate, timely, and explicit literacy instruction with plenty of opportunity for students to acquire and practise literacy skills.

Tier 2 – Additional Learning Support

For students who do not make expected progress in their class, Tier 2 intervenes.  Supplementary support teachers provide short, more intensive instruction for students.  Tier 2 intervention is additional to and connected with, a students existing classroom programme. When tiers of learning support connect the impact on improved student outcomes can be significant. 

At Arahoe School these are the additional learning support programmes:

Ministry-funded Structured Literacy Approaches

Classroom teaching of literacy is being strengthened through the updated national curriculum and structured literacy approaches (SLA) so all learners have access to strong, foundational learning experiences. Targeted and tailored teaching accelerates learning for students not yet at curriculum expectation. It is designed to build on universal classroom teaching by increasing the intensity and frequency of teaching. Over time, as structured approaches to teaching literacy are bedded in, fewer learners will need additional support. Accelerated learning combines specific teaching strategies and scaffolded supports so that learners can acquire the skills and knowledge they need to continue to access the curriculum.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Students come from diverse groups where languages other than English are used at home or in the community. These bilingual and multilingual students represent an increasing proportion of many school populations.

At Arahoe these students who have been identified as needing to develop their English Language skills are supported through an ESOL programme that helps children to access the curriculum successfully. 

Mathematics Support

Support is provided for learners identified as needing to make accelerated progress in maths. These students have regular withdrawal maths sessions in addition to their normal classroom programme to help them build knowledge and understanding in this area.

Tier 3 – Specialist Support

At Arahoe when a student is classified as requiring Tier 3 Learning Support our Unique Learning Needs coordinator refers that student, with parent permission, to an outside agency.  Some examples of these agencies are:

• Resource Teachers for Learning and Behaviour (RTLB)

• Resource Teachers for Literacy (RTlit)

• Resource Teachers for the Deaf (RTD)

• Resource Teacher for Low Vision or Hearing Impaired

• Public Health Nurse

• Marinoto (Pediatric Behaviour Team)

• Oranga Tamariki