Learning Support at St. Raphaela's
St. Raphaela’s Secondary School is an open and inclusive school that aims to provide an integrated and inclusive education for all students in its care in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. The school welcomes applications from all students, including those with Additional Educational Needs (AEN).
Definition of Additional Educational Need
The term Additional Educational Need (AEN) refers to any student that requires more support because of a disability. It also refers to the needs of exceptionally able students, so they are challenged and supported in an educational setting. In this school, we have measures, strategies and practices to support students with additional educational needs. The Additional Educational Needs Teachers work closely with outside agencies, staff, parents and the students themselves to ensure that every student is receiving a level of support that will help them succeed at school in so far as possible with resources available. This support is well planned, individually targeted in supporting our students to reach their full potential.
Areas of Support
The different support areas where interventions are provided to students here are as follows:
In Class Support
In Class Support is the first level of support offered and is very subtly carried out within mainstream classes. It is provided by the class teacher. This allows for specific, targeted interventions relating to academic, social or emotional issues a student may be having. Students are identified for in class support if they received any level of support in primary school.
Co Teaching
This is when two teachers collaborate to deliver the curriculum to a class. It can be for a full year or an intervention of a block of weeks. It allows two teachers to monitor, assess and support all students in the classroom.
1-1 and small group support
In some cases, students are supported by withdrawal for 1 to 1 or small group support in the AEN Department. This may be a timetabled or as a block of intervention. Students may return to in class support following this.
Identifying needs
If your child has been identified in primary school as having an additional need, and is in receipt of support, you need to contact the AEN team prior to the start of secondary school to discuss your child’s individual needs.
We work closely with all our feeder schools to gather information on any additional needs before your child starts. We liaise with the AEN team in these schools and plan a smooth transition between primary and post primary setting.
Our goal is to build a close working relationship between parents, ANAs and the AEN Department so that your child reaches their own individual potential and strives to be the best student they can be.
Student Assessment
Students all learn at a different rate and sometimes additional needs are not identified until post primary school. All incoming first years sit a Cognitive Ability Test as well as a literacy and numeracy test to help identify additional needs that they may need support with.
Students may undergo additional testing for the purpose of determining eligibility for RACE for In House & State Exams.
Additional Needs Assistants (formerly Special Needs Assistants)
Some children have an Additional Needs Assistant (ANA) in their class in primary school and they may be in some of their classes in post primary too. They are there to support the care needs of a group of children or one specific child. They work closely with teachers, parents and students on a daily basis.
Organisational Support
First year students are supported with the transition to secondary school. This includes organisational skills and getting into good routines and practices from early in their secondary school journey. They also are linked with a 6th year buddy in a mentoring system to provide additional support.
The school will use the resources provided by the Department of Education and Skills to make reasonable provision and accommodation for all students with Additional Educational Needs so that they may participate as fully as possible in the life of the school.
If your child is coming to this school and has additional needs, please contact the school well in advance of their arrival to discuss their needs.
You can contact our Learning Support Department by emailing: learningsupport@straphaelas.ie