Cross Campus Head of Learning Supprt 

At Leighland, our Learning Support Aide (LSA) teams across both campuses are made up of a wonderful, committed staff that have a heart for student support. They work together with an outstanding variety of specific skills and abilities that they bring to the teams and use on behalf of the students. We regularly have individuals getting in contact with the school to see if there are any openings available to work with us.

Training has occurred (and is occurring) for the aide teams. Two specific Neurodiverse training sessions were recently organised by the Head of Learning Support which involved all teaching and aide staff across both campuses participating in the program.

There is also Literacy specific training with Jocelyn Seamer occurring for our Lower Primary aides, alongside their teaching counterparts. Having both aides and teaching staff able to participate in similar training modules is not something that is available to aides in every school, but is something that is valued at Leighland. It means that the support provided to students is increasingly collaborative and consistent.

The Learning Support area (the HUB) at Ulverstone is a highly utilised K-12 multipurpose facility, creating a space for both Primary and Secondary students throughout the entire day. This involves daily support with targeted intervention groups, 1:1 intervention, specific timetabled sessions for appropriate individual High School students, a withdrawal space for some students who need a quiet area to retreat to, a meeting area for external specialists to meet students in, a meeting room for aides etc. There are also area specific supports in the greater school environment such as ‘The Pod’ that is a purpose-built withdrawal area in the Year 5/6 classrooms that is highly utilised for both a quiet retreat area for students in need, plus a regular 1:1 and small group intervention area.

Each classroom across the Primary School has access to their own ‘Student Support’ room that exists between classrooms. There have also been additional extra quiet areas put together by the Heads of Primary called ‘The Well’ and by the Head of Secondary in High School playing a pivotal role in Student Wellbeing.

The Learning Support area in Burnie is being strategically woven into the school environment with specific intervention groups, 1:1 intervention and withdrawal spaces being provided both in and outside of classroom spaces. The new Year 5/6 block has a fabulous purpose-built withdrawal area between the classrooms that is used for individuals and small groups, providing a readily available quiet space for regulation breaks, as well as a space for strategic intervention programs and support to be given.

Each classroom across the Burnie campus also has access to their own ‘Student Support’ area close to their classrooms and very soon, a brand new ‘Pod’ will be completed to provide a specific, quiet withdrawal space for students in need, as well as being an area for 1:1 and small group intervention.

The LSA Teams meet on both campuses with the Head of Learning Support on a regular basis and provide a level of assistance to students with needs within the school that regularly goes above and beyond their assigned tasks and responsibilities. We are truly blessed to have such a team on each campus, serving our students and serving our school community.

Myriama McNab

Cross Campus Head of Learning Support