Learning Support Handbook

Our Learning Support team is dedicated to creating inclusive, empowering, and responsive environments where all ākonga can thrive. To achieve this, we focus on the following objectives:

Develop Resilient Learners with Grit: Support ākonga to become resilient, confident, and independent learners who embrace challenges and persist through setbacks. We view failure as a powerful tool for growth, helping students build grit, adaptability, and a positive mindset toward learning.

Identify and Support Diverse Learners: Ensure all students in the Secondary School with learning challenges or neurodiverse profiles are identified early. Tailored programmes and supports are put in place to meet their individual needs.

Accelerate Learning Progress: Implement targeted strategies to accelerate the learning of students with diverse needs. Measurable outcomes are used to track academic, social, and emotional progress.

Strengthen Executive Functioning Skills: Support students in developing key executive functioning skills. These include planning, organisation, working memory, and self-regulation, which enhance independence and success across learning contexts.

Deliver Intensive and Precision Teaching: Provide high-impact, evidence-based teaching interventions. These are especially focused on students in Years 9–10 and respond to specific learning needs.

Ensure Access to Special Assessment Conditions: Guarantee that students who qualify for special assessment conditions receive the appropriate accommodations. This ensures equitable access to assessments.

Meet the Needs of High Needs Students: Ensure that both the learning and social needs of high needs students are being met. This is achieved through personalised support, inclusive practices, and strong partnerships with whānau and external agencies.

At St Andrew’s, our Learning Support team works with a wide range of ākonga who benefit from additional support to access and succeed in their learning. This includes:

Neurodiverse Learners. Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in how people think, learn, and process information. We support students with:

• dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia;
• ADHD and executive functioning challenges;
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD);
• sensory processing differences;
• anxiety and other emotional regulation needs.

Students with Learning Challenges. These may include:

• gaps in literacy or numeracy skills;
• difficulty with memory, attention, or organisation;
• social-emotional barriers to learning;
• temporary or long-term medical conditions affecting learning.

Identification Process. Students are identified through:

• teacher observations and referrals;
• standardised assessments (e.g., PATs, e-asTTle);
• whānau input and student voice;
• diagnostic testing and professional reports.

Early identification, especially in Years 9 and 10, allows us to:

• provide targeted support;
• inform classroom teachers with relevant data;
• trial interventions such as Special Assessment Conditions (SAC);
• build a profile of learning needs to guide future planning.

Inclusive Education Principles. Our approach is grounded in:

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): creating flexible learning environments that accommodate all learners;
• equity and empowerment: ensuring every student has access to the tools and support they need to succeed;
• strengths-based practice: focusing on what students can do and building from their unique abilities;
• whānau partnership: working collaboratively with families to support learner success.

Purpose
These classes are designed for students who benefit from additional support in literacy and numeracy, particularly those with diverse learning needs. This includes neurodiverse learners, students requiring a boost in foundational skills, and those whose learning needs require acceleration to meet curriculum expectations.

Structure
Learning Support classes are delivered in small group settings to ensure targeted, personalised instruction. Programmes are guided by the Morningside Model of Generative Instruction, an evidence-based approach originating in the United States. This model focuses on developing mastery in core areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics through direct instruction, frequent practice, and immediate feedback.

In addition to small group classes, a Teaching Assistant (TA) is placed in every core subject class. These include English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. The TA provides in-class support to ensure that students with learning needs receive consistent and embedded assistance across their curriculum.

Outcomes
The goals of these classes are to:

• accelerate student progress in literacy and numeracy (acceleration is defined as progressing two curriculum years within one academic year);
• build mastery of fundamental skills;
• strengthen executive functioning, including planning, organisation, and self-regulation;
• foster resilience and grit by encouraging students to view failure as a valuable part of the learning process.

Progress is measured through:

• regular formative assessments;
• measured against Executive Functioning Standards;
• precision teaching data;
• student self-reflection and goal setting
• feedback from teachers and whānau.

Student Voice

“Learning Support helped me feel more confident in maths. I used to give up when things got hard, but now I know how to keep trying and ask for help.”
– Year 10 Student

“I used to think I wasn’t good at reading, but now I can read faster and understand more. The small group helped me feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them.”
– Year 9 Student

Supporting students through key transitions is a vital part of our Learning Support programme. We aim to ensure that every learner feels confident, prepared, and supported as they move through their educational journey and into life beyond school.

Year-Level Transitions

• Year 8 to Year 9: Orientation support, early identification of learning needs, and whānau meetings to establish a strong foundation.
• Year 10 to Year 11: Planning for NCEA, trialling SAC, and building independence in learning and self-management.
• Year 12 to Year 13: Refining learning strategies, strengthening executive functioning, and preparing for post-school pathways.

Year 11 Pathways Programme
This programme is designed to support students in developing the foundational skills necessary for a successful transition into the workforce or further education. It is tailored to each student’s Individual Learning Programme (ILP) and includes:

• applied literacy and numeracy;
• personal and peer leadership;
• interpersonal communication;
• engagement with external providers offering industry-relevant courses aligned with the ILP.

Students undertake Unit Standard assessments in:

• core generic skills;
• self-management;
• financial capability;
• social and cooperative skills;
• work and study skills;
• service sector skills;
• communication skills;
• health and safety;
• career planning.

Dual Enrolment (Years 12 and 13)
Dual enrolment offers students the opportunity to engage in individualised learning based on their strengths and aspirations. This pathway supports:

• preparation for employment and industry-specific careers;
• engagement with tertiary providers or vocational training;
• development of service learning, teamwork, and personal growth;
• encouragement of goal-setting, self-management, and independence.

Planning for NCEA and Beyond

• support with subject selection and course planning;
• guidance on assessment expectations and study skills;
• access to SAC and other accommodations;
• career counselling and tertiary guidance tailored to individual needs;
• collaboration with external agencies and providers to support transitions.

Our goal is to ensure that every student leaves St Andrew’s with a clear sense of direction, confidence in their abilities, and the tools they need to succeed in further education, training, or employment.

The Response to Intervention (RTI) model is a whole-school, tiered approach designed to improve student learning outcomes. At St Andrew’s, we use this model to guide adjustments in teaching and learning, ensuring that the right level of support is in place for individuals and groups. This is underpinned by effective Universal Design for Learning (UDL) practices that benefit all students.

RTI is tailored to individual needs, allowing students to move flexibly between levels of support based on their progress. It enables early identification of students who are not progressing as expected, even when they are engaged in evidence-based teaching and learning programmes.

Tiered Support Model

• Tier 1: Quality Differentiated Classroom Teaching – All students receive high-quality, evidence-based instruction with differentiation to meet diverse learning needs.
• Tier 2: Targeted Small Group Interventions – Students who require additional support receive targeted instruction in small groups, focusing on specific skill gaps.
• Tier 3: Intensive, Individualised Support – Students with significant learning needs receive intensive, personalised interventions tailored to their unique learning profiles.

Referral Process
Students are identified for additional support through a combination of:

• teacher observations and professional judgement;
• assessment data;
• whānau input;
• Learning Support team reviews.

Movement between tiers is flexible and based on ongoing monitoring of student progress.

Monitoring and Data
Progress is tracked using a range of tools, including:

• PATs (Progressive Achievement Tests);
•  e-asTTle assessments;
• teacher observations and anecdotal records;
• precision teaching data;
• student self-assessment and goal setting.

This data informs timely interventions and ensures that support remains responsive and effective.

Eligibility
Students may qualify for SAC if they have:

• permanent or long-term sensory, physical, or medical conditions;
• specific learning disorders (e.g., dyslexia, ADHD);
• conditions that directly impact their ability to access fair assessment.

To be eligible:

• the student must be capable of achieving national qualifications;
• the SAC must reflect the student’s normal way of working;
• the student must consent to the application being submitted.

Types of Support
SAC may include:

• reader: someone to read assessment material aloud;
• writer: someone to transcribe the student’s verbal responses;
• extra time: additional time to complete assessments;
• separate accommodation: a quiet or individual space for assessments;
• rest breaks: scheduled breaks during assessments;
• use of a computer: for typing responses if this reflects the student’s usual method of working.

Support is available for both internal and external NCEA assessments.

Early Identification and Trialling
At St Andrew’s, we prioritise early identification of students who may benefit from SAC, particularly in Years 9 and 10. This early focus allows us to:

• gather data to inform classroom teachers and tailor support;
• trial SAC during end-of-year exams;
• enable students to access SAC for Common Curriculum Assessments (CCAs).

During this process, we seek parental consent and encourage whānau to discuss SAC options alongside their child to ensure shared understanding and support.

Application Process
1. Identification: Based on teacher observations, school-based testing, and professional reports

2. Documentation: Evidence may include:

• • reports from registered professionals;
  • school-based assessments and observations;
  • historical learning support records.

3. Submission: The school submits the SAC application to NZQA on behalf of the student

4. Timeline:

• • applications are submitted at the start of Year 11;
  • confirmation is typically received by June or July;
  • once approved, students do not need to reapply in Years 12 and 13;

Student Preparation
Students are supported to use SAC effectively through:

• practice using their approved SAC during internal assessments;
• familiarisation with exam conditions and expectations;
• guidance on how to work with a reader or writer;
• encouragement to advocate for their needs and understand their entitlements.

Key Contacts
Head of Learning Support: Amiria Rule – ARU@stac.school.nz
Special Assessment Conditions Administrator: Shelley Broad – SBA@stac.school.nz
NZQA SAC Team (via NZQA SAC Info for Schools)