Individual Support & Extension

At Holy Spirit School we aim to cater for individual learning styles, interests and abilities. We understand that educating children must encompass the whole person and therefore our learning programs cater for academic, emotional, physical, social and spiritual development.

Holy Spirit provides many wide and varied opportunities to support and nurture our students through their learning journey. It is important to understand that the vast majority of differentiation occurs seamlessly in the classroom, through differentiated programming and teaching.

Below is a summation of the experiences that our school currently offers.

Curiosity Club

A small number of students within the school may also benefit from extension outside of the already differentiated programs and clubs offered in classes and across the school. As a result, Holy Spirit offers the ‘Curiosity Club’ for students from Year 4-6. This program is not designed to give students more volume or increasingly more difficult work, but to stretch their critical thinking, collaboration and problem-solving ability, which are key skills in the life of a student and adult.

Acceptance in the Curiosity Club is a process as outlined below:

• Students from Year 3-6 sit independent testing through ACER (Australian Council of Educational Research).
• Test results are independently analysed alongside Extension Expert Educators. Students are selected based on normative standards.
• The school reserves the right to use additional standardised data and professional expertise to make professional judgements regarding entrance.

Literacy Support

Holy Spirit Offers Literacy Support for students from Pre-Primary to Year 6. This program is based on the needs of the individual child and overseen by our Literacy Support Teacher, Mrs Jane Pintaudi. Mrs Pintaudi works alongside class teachers to support students development and understanding of Reading and Writing intervention strategies.

Individual Education Plan’s (IEP’s)

Holy Spirit promotes education for all, celebrating the diversity and achievements of all students and encouraging them to discover their abilities and reach their full potential.

Our teachers cater to each students’ individual strengths, abilities and needs, promoting justice and equitable educational opportunities for every child. Students with disability may be supported through the implementation of Individual Education Plans (IEP’S). These documents are created collaboratively between parents, students, teachers and any other relevant supporting agencies.

Parents of children who are on an IEP will be informed and regular meetings to discuss the learning and support your child receives will take place throughout the year. In term 1, the IEP document will be presented and discussed with parents and the implementation of support which your child receives will continue. Your child’s Semester 1 IEP will be evaluated in Term 2 and reporting methods for your child will be discussed with parents.

Students who are accessing the year level curriculum and have an IEP with environmental and instructional adjustments will have their progress reported against the achievement standards for their year level using A – E grades.

Students who are accessing an alternate year level curriculum or ABLEWA and who require, environmental, instructional and curriculum adjustments will have their progress reported against the learning objectives documented in the IEP, A – E grades are NOT provided on the standard report in SEQTA.

Parents, for us to ensure teachers are supporting your child in the most efficient ways, please keep the school informed of any updated diagnosis information, testing results and if relevant, information around any external supporting agencies your child may attend. This information can be provided to the classroom teacher, or to the Assistant Principal, Brooke Allen. This information is treated with sensitivity and is stored confidentially.

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, please do not hesitate to arrange a meeting with your child’s classroom teacher.

English as and Additional Langauge/Dialect (EAL/D)

At Holy Spirit we a committed to providing English language support to students who require assistance in developing English language proficiency for social communication, as well as for verbal and written communication using academic English for all learning areas.

Students who are identified as benefiting from accessing an English as an Additional Language Plan (EAL/D Plan) have been identified as having a language background other than English. This means that one language or dialect may be used within their family, including English. EAL/D identified students have been assessed based on their used of standard Australian English for social and academic purposes.

EAL/D identified students receive English language support, accessing targeted support from their teachers, educational assistants and relevant leadership staff, in consolidation with our CEWA EAL/D consultant. This support is provided through small group intervention, mainstream differentiation and individualised assessment interviews and tasks.

Your child will be assessed and reported against the EAL/D progress maps, a comprehensive tool used in Western Australia, for these purposes. Your child’s reports will include information about your child’s progress in the areas of speaking, listening, reading/ viewing and writing.

Parents of EAL/D identified students will be notified, and a meeting will take place in Term 1 to discuss their child’s EAL/D plan. The school will organise an interpreter for families that need this service. If you would like an interpreter during meetings with your child’s teacher, please don’t hesitate to ask; this is a free service and is organised by the school. Translated meeting request forms are also available for families who require this. Teachers will invite parents of EAL/D students back again in Term 2 to discuss their child’s progress and their child’s report.

We are committed to developing inclusive teaching and learning programs which support the diverse cultural and linguistic needs of our students and their families through the development and celebration of students’ first languages, alongside Australian English. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s ability to access the curriculum using standard Australian English, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, or to our assistant principal Brooke Allen.