Pupil Support

"At Wallace High School effective Pupil Support is essential to wellbeing and to maximising success for all learners."

At Wallace High School we have a substantial Pupil Support structure that is designed to provide the highest level of care and support for all pupils to allow them to realise their full potential. This starts as early as Primary 6 with our Primary Transitions Programme, which supports curricular and pastoral transition and includes detailed work by our Learning Support specialists to ensure that all support for learners is in place prior to the start of Secondary. Details on Pupil Support are provided below, starting with an outline of our Pupil Support structure, which makes clear who to contact directly at each stage if you have a concern with your child.

Assemblies and Health & Wellbeing Inputs

For all pupils, at each stage of their education, we have detailed programmes of age-appropriate personal and social development and health and wellbeing education on topics such as: Internet Safety; Bullying; Healthy Eating and Lifestyles; Study Support and Stress Management; Careers Advice etc… These inputs are delivered by a number of professionals from within and beyond the school, including our School Based Police Officer; Careers' Advisor; Pupil Support Leaders; SLT; Health Professionals; Curricular Specialists and many other partners.

Supporting Learning

Staff work co-operatively with subject departments to ensure that all pupils can successfully access the curriculum by providing:

• CSPs – Co-ordinated Support Plans are provided for a number of pupils who have additional support needs arising from complex or multiple factors which require a high degree of co-ordination of support from education and other partner agencies in order that their needs can be met.
• IEPs – Individual Educational Plans agreed with curricular departments for pupils with identified learning needs
• Learning and Teaching in small groups provided on a short or longer-term basis for pupils experiencing the greatest difficulty with basic skills
• Focused support in the classroom from class teachers
• Assistance in the classroom from Learning Support Teachers, and from a dedicated team of Support for Learning Assistants
• Individual tuition and assistance in class for pupils who are returning to school after a long absence
• Access to, and support from, ASN Outreach Service
• Access to, and support from, Youth Services. e.g. Activity Agreements / targeted services.

On-going curricular support is provided by Learning Support teachers working co-operatively with class teachers, for example in the production of appropriate differentiated resources to meet a wide range of specific needs and providing targeted support for those with Additional Support Needs.

Further Support

We support our young people in a number of additional ways, including:

• Targeted Mentoring – promotes a focus on Attendance, Attainment/Achievement and Aspirations with appropriate interventions by our extended team where support is required in any of these key areas. Attendance is a key focus of our Pupil Support team
• Behaviour Support – our Flexible Support Base is used to support where any behavioural concerns are impacting on learning.
• Break, Lunch and Supported Study – a number of break, lunch and after school support opportunities are available, both in terms of general homework/study support and subject-specific supported study
• Peer Support and Paired Reading – we have structured programmes in both of these key areas, which involve training senior pupils to support young learners in a range of contexts
• Careers/Transition to Positive Destinations - staff work with Skills Development Scotland to offer advice and information to all pupils and our Careers Officer provides specific support for pupils through assemblies, class sessions and individual interviews.

Tutor Group Leaders

For the first ten minutes of every morning, pupils spend time in Tutor Group with their Tutor Group Leader. Ideally, this teacher gets to know individual pupils very well and follows them through school. Tutor Group time is essential in setting a tone for the day and supports a focus on attendance, time.keeping, uniform and is where appointments and absence notes etc. are dealt with. This is the crucial point where ‘First-line Guidance’ occurs and where we can monitor pupils wellbeing on a daily basis.

Medical Matters

The school has qualified first aider who deal both with minor illnesses in the school. Emergency cases are referred, when necessary, to medical professionals, and immediate contact is made with parents. Prior notification of inoculations etc. is given, and parental permission sought. Medication, prescribed and non-prescribed, must be supplied by parents/carers. In accordance with Stirling Council Guidelines, a letter from a parent/carer authorising the school to issue medication must be written to the school. In the case of prescribed medication, this authorisation requires to be updated on a termly basis. The issuing of non-prescribed medication will be limited to no more than 5 consecutive days, after which further authorisation must be received by the school.

Learning Resources Centre (LRC)

Aims

The LRC aims to support pupils throughout school by:

• Helping pupils become confident and successful learners by developing information literacy skills
• Developing successful learners by promoting reading within the Curriculum (developing core literacy skills) and for enjoyment
• Providing the widest range of learning resources to meet the needs of the whole school.

Supporting the Curriculum

The LRC supports the Curriculum in a number of ways:

The BGE Information Skills course is integrated into the English curriculum. All S1 & S2 classes have a weekly library period where they learn the key skills associated with locating, selecting and using information.

Pupils are encouraged to read for pleasure, and challenged to read widely. Classes in all year groups have regular timetables (‘library periods’) that are organised with the English Department. The LRC is also the venue for our paired reading initiative that involves S1 pupils. The Librarian (Mrs Waters) organises for authors to visit Wallace High to speak to pupils and takes pupils to events at Stirling’s Off the Page book festival and the Edinburgh Festival.

Teachers are encouraged to bring classes to the LRC to access information resources to support investigative course work. There is a flexible and informal booking system and the LRC is used heavily by departments.

The Librarian is a member of the School’s Literacy Working Group.

Learning Resources

The LRC has over 11,000 resources. The collection is organised into four broad areas: Fiction, Information, Careers and Staff Continuing Professional Development. The LRC has a study suite and ICT supported wellbeing zones, which are regularly used by individuals and groups.

The library’s electronic catalogue is called OLIVER. Pupils and staff can use this to search for resources.

Opening Times

The LRC is open all day from 8.30 am. It is closed during morning break and for the first fifteen minutes of the lunch break. Pupils can use the LRC during lunchtime from 1.15 pm and after school. Each year group has their own designated day.