At Everglade Primary School the progress of all students is monitored closely. When specific needs are identified, appropriate educational programmes are devised/ accessed to meet these specific needs.
Leaders, Teachers and the school's learning support team strive towards the early identification of the students, who are achieving below their expected levels, and the provision of timely support. Support comes in a variety of forms: 1 – 1 support, small group support, Literacy Programmes e.g. Quick 60, Social Skills Programmes e.g. Six Bricks, and in- class support. Additional support includes transition to school as well as between year levels. If necessary, support or advice will also be requested from appropriate Ministry of Education agencies and Individual Education Plans (I.E.Ps) collaboratively created.
The LSC works alongside whanau and teachers to access support from a range of sources.
The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) provides support for children with the highest level of need to help them join in and learn alongside their peers. ORS provides additional teacher and teacher's aide hours, as well as support from specialists e.g. Speech and Language Therapist, Deaf Advisor, etc.
SHHNF provides teacher aide support for children with serious medical conditions. At Everglade Primary, the Special Education Advisor works with the SENCO, medical specialists, whanau, teachers and teacher aide to plan their support.
The Communication Service offers support to children with high communication needs at Everglade. A speech-language therapist (SLT) assesses children who have difficulties with speaking, listening and understanding language. Individual programmes are then created to support their communication skills, with the SLT working collaboratively with their whānau, teachers and teacher aides to help them improve their communication in everyday situations.
The Physical Disability Service supports children with physical disabilities to participate and learn alongside their peers at Everglade Primary School. Children with physical disabilities are assessed termly and programmes created by the physiotherapist and/or occupational therapist to support them with:
- moving around the classroom and moving safely around other areas of the school, as well as with using playground equipment
- taking part in learning activities, particularly physical ones, or being able to use technology, such as computers
- using pencils, pens and other tools and materials, especially if their disability is causing difficulties with their handwriting
Leaders, teachers and whanau of children experiencing severe behaviour difficulties work alongside an educational psychologist to look at what is contributing to their behaviour and to work out ways to help modify/ manage it.
Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) provides assessment, as well as advice and guidance to the teachers and whanau of students with vision needs.
The Advisor of Deaf Children and/or Resource Teacher of the Deaf (RTDs) assesses children’s needs in the classroom, a one-to-one setting, or a child's home. They team up with other specialists to help teachers adapt their teaching to suit the child's needs, while working through Ko Taku Reo | Deaf Education New Zealand.
The RTLit provides Literacy Support, focusing on reading, writing, spelling and oral language to the teachers of identified students. Students are referred if they have not made significant progress while attending the school’s intervention programmes.
Specialist teachers devise a Collaborative Action Plan (CAP), while working with children, teachers, teacher aides and whanau to enhance learning in Numeracy/ Literacy and/or Behaviour.
Everglade Primary employs two teachers to work with six year old children, who need extra support to make a successful start in learning to read. Children who have been on this programme are then monitored during the remainder of their time at Everglade to ensure their progress is maintained. Reading Recovery provides one-on-one and group teaching with lessons that are specifically adapted to suit a child’s strengths and challenges.