The emphasis and commitment of East Lothian Council is that all children will be entitled to be educated in a mainstream school as far as is possible. To allow schools to deliver effective services, the authority has provided a framework of support and specialist services.

Support for Learning in Educational Establishments

Support for learning offers a range of opportunities and intervention to promote effective learning and teaching All children and young people, including those with special educational entitled to an education directed to develop their personality, talents and physical and mental abilities to their fullest potential.

Every child and young person should also be given the opportunity to be involved in decisions, which will affect them significantly. Standard in Scotland's Schools etc (Scotland) Act 2000

While it is recognised that the responsibility for the learning and teaching of children placed in the school is first and foremost that of the class or subject teacher, additional assistance is given by the authority to help children whose needs are beyond this level. The department will strive to recognise schools, which display excellence and commitment to supporting pupils with additional support needs in their approach..

To assist staff to meet the needs of children with more significant learning difficulties, all schools have a core allocation of support for learning staff. The basis for allocating additional staffing is according to school role, deprivation factors and identification of significant additional support needs.

It is planned to review the allocation system of support for learning to ensure that resources are allocated fairly and are targeted to the most vulnerable.

Integrated Support for Learning staff may assist by providing:

• advice to class teachers and support staff on materials and teaching and learning approaches to support pupils with significant additional needs.
• assistance with the development of support for learning policies in schools.
• advice on the drafting of individualised educational programmes (IEPs) for pupils with significant educational and social needs.

In, addition, centralised and specialist outreach support services and agencies will also provide:

• advice on the use of appropriate information and communication technology (ICT), hardware and software for pupils with additional needs in collaboration with an ICT consultant and specialist ICT teachers'
• advice on and assistance on the use of specialised equipment for pupils with sensory and/or physical disabilities
• liaison with Head teachers and Properly Services on specific requirements for adaptations to buildings for pupils with physical and/or sensory impairments.
• assistance with the management of resources for educational establishments and cluster and specialist support bases identification of specialist equipment for pupils in liaison with therapists and health services and other relevant personnel
• delivery of in-service training at establishment and authority level
• participation in the school review procedure of IEPs and Records of Needs

Integrated Support for Learning in Schools

A key feature of well managed support for learning is the clarity of roles and responsibilities and the way in which staff co-operate to achieve shared goals, a consistent approach to assessment, intervention and effective learning and teaching strategies. Staff involved may include support for learning staff, behaviour support and/or guidance teachers supported by peripatetic specialist services.

The Five Roles of Support for Learning are:

• Co-operative teaching
• Consultancy
• Staff Development and Training 
• Tutoring and Teaching 
• Providing Specialist Services

Co-operative Teaching

Successful co-operative teaching is achieved where the class teacher and specialist staff ensure that the aims and nature of their work is understood and is fully integrated into the intervention strategies and educational programmes agreed for the children.

It is important to stress that to achieve maximum effectiveness in this process, class and subject teachers together with support staff should plan together the programme for the child and agree the methodology and teaching approaches to be deployed. Sufficient time should be allocated for this purpose, where possible, in the school day.

The support for learning or specialist peripatetic staff may support the work of the class teacher by: 

• providing additional support to small groups of pupils within the classroom using small group intervention strategies
• assisting in teaching individual pupils or small groups using withdrawal sessions to prepare pupils for inclusion at a later date rather than for parallel teaching
• using specific teaching methods that are appropriate for meeting particular pupil's learning needs
•  specialist services to individual pupils such as advice on ICT, visual or hearing impairment
• using the flexibility in the curriculum to devote additional time to activities which address the pupil's learning needs and build on their strengths and interests
• assisting in the assessment and review process

Consultancy

Support for learning teachers should consult with the school Pupil Support Coordinator, class and/or subject teachers about the educational needs of pupils requiring additional support and the implications for the delivery of the curriculum and may provide: 

• advice on issues in relation to the curriculum
• identification of the learning needs of pupils 
• advice on appropriate resources and materials 
• learning and teaching strategies and approaches 
• advice and direct support to parents 
• liaison and collaboration with other agencies and departments of the Council

Staff Development and Training

Through their cross-curricular experience and overview of learning across establishments, specialist support staff can offer staff development and training through: 

• seminars and in-service courses
• providing up to date information to staff 
• consultation 
• participation in cross curricular working groups
• promoting good practice

Tutoring

Support for learning staff offer direct support by providing: 

• short term programmes
• support in class or base to meet particular difficulties 
• tutorial support to individual pupils such as, organising special examination arrangements 
• paired reading 
• preparation, monitoring and evaluating individualised educational programmes in conjunction with others

Specialist Services

Guidance, behaviour support and/or support for learning staff contribute to the provision of short-term support for pupils in exceptional circumstances:

• additional curriculum support on return to school after prolonged absence
• transfer from another school or authority
• educational advice for looked after children
• support for those having difficulty coping with school life on a short term basis

The main focus of integrated support for learning in East Lothian will be towards cooperative teaching but all of the above areas of support are available. All learning and teaching strategies are agreed in consultation with the senior management team of the school or the pupil support co-ordinator