Learning Support Offered at Cerdon College

• In-class support and collaboration with teachers

In conjunction with class teachers, we assist students in the classroom by explaining tasks and providing individual support. Significant time is invested in meeting with teachers to impart information about students, plan programs and provide strategies to help students achieve their best in each subject.

• Class Work/Assessment Modification

Many students can access the curriculum and achieve excellent results with a little support or modification. Adjustments to class work or assessments can be just the additional support a student requires. All students are welcome to seek support in this way.

• Assistance with Assessments

Assessment tasks come in many forms: reports, essays, multimedia presentations, tests, speeches, etc. Part of the role of the Learning Support Team is to provide students with extra support to help guide them through the successful completion of the assessment. The task may be reworded or broken down into manageable tasks to allow the student to progress through the assessment and complete it on time.

• Standardised Assessment

The Learning Support Team at Cerdon College are all trained in the use of standardised assessment tests. These school-based tests can be useful to help identify areas of strength/weakness for an individual student. Carrying out these assessments allows for best practice interventions and strategies to support the student to achieve the best outcomes possible. Further referral is also available from psychologists and speech pathologists employed by the Catholic Education Office.

• Special Provisions

Students with special needs may require extra support during exams to allow them to be given every opportunity to achieve their best results without being disadvantaged by any learning difficulties they may have. Applications are submitted to the Board of Studies to request provisions such as extra time, separate supervision, readers and writers. Special provisions are available for internal (school) and external (School Certificate and Higher School Certificate) exams.

• Tutorials—language/communication

Small group tutorials are offered to students who encounter difficulties fully accessing the curriculum due to problems with the use of language/communication. The tutorial groups focus on explicitly teaching language skills useful in class work across subjects.

• Tutorials—reading comprehension

The small group reading tutorials are offered once each week to students who may have experienced difficulty with comprehension skills and/or who have had literacy support in primary school. These sessions aim to continue focused literacy skill development for students who require more intensive support.

• Reading Programs

The reading programs are offered to students who have difficulties with foundation literacy skills and are highly structured programs based on the Macquarie University reading program and THRASS. Students are given one-to-one  and/or small group tuition to develop their reading skills to meet the demands of secondary school.

• Collaboration with the CEO Transition Team and Other Agencies

The Catholic Education Office (Parramatta Diocese) offers a range of support services to all schools including vocational preparation and work readiness courses. These courses are offered to students with disabilities in Years 9-12 and range from 1 day to full week courses. We also liaise with relevant government agencies and specialist employment agencies for students with disabilities.

• Life Skills Program of Study

A small number of students undertake a Life Skills program of study in Years 7-10. The program allows for students to work at their own pace, incorporating adjustments to the curriculum to best suit their learning needs. The Board of Studies has included life skills outcomes in all syllabus documents to allow for an inclusive approach for all students in schools.

• Work Placement

A small number of students will have the opportunity to participate in work placement on a weekly basis, organised in liaison with the Transition Team. Students are supported by workplace trainers in a real work setting. Work placement is primarily targeted at Life Skills students preparing to leave school in Year 10.