Pioneer State High School’s Special Education and Learning Support Department caters for a diverse range of students who require assistance in classrooms or with school work. We aim to support them in such a manner as to benefit their school life, academic learning and overall welfare. The team of people who support these students include:
Head of Department (Special Education and Learning Support)
Special Education teachers
Special Education teacher assistants
Learning support teacher
Learning support teacher assistant
Teacher of the deaf
Note taker for the deaf
Educational Interpreters for students with a hearing impairment
AUSLAN Language Model for students with a hearing impairment
Teacher assistant – administrative duties
EAL/D – Teacher Aide
The department works closely with parents, other Pioneer staff and other support personnel and agencies to cater for the needs of particular students.
Special Education teachers are appointed as Case Managers for students with a disability by writing and sharing “Student Summaries”. They inform teachers about individual student needs. The Case Manager is also the advocate for these students. This advocacy occurs through Individual Education Plan (IEP) writing, EAP and profile updating and by contacting or referring to other relevant agencies or personnel. Case Managers are able to access Education Queensland Student Support Services for Speech Language Pathology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Regional AUSLAN Support Officer and Advisory Visiting Teachers for Physical Impairment and Hearing Impairment.
When Special Needs staff attend classes to support student learning they assist students to achieve their potential in specific subjects. When working with students outside of the regular classroom staff, can give them individual or small group quality time.
The Learning Support staff in the department assists students in Years 8 and 9 who may be experiencing difficulties in Literacy and Numeracy. The faculty offers in-class support by either a qualified teacher or by a teacher aide. The needs of ESL students are also catered for through staff in the Learning Support section of our faculty.
Additional to this, the department offers the Assessment Support program and the COMPASS Mentoring subject. Our Assessment Support Program is designed to support students in completing their assessment pieces for mainstream classes. It includes the use of a computer based program using Dragon Naturally Speaking software to assist students in writing their assignments. This program is open to students in Year 8 – 9 and to ESL students up to year 12 if required.
The COMPASS mentoring subject is an elective offered, by invitation-only, to selected Year 9 students who are not achieving to their full potential because of a lack of self-confidence or poor planning skills. Students work with members of the community in one of the sessions and a qualified teacher takes the other. Students interact respectfully with their mentor, complete booklets, work towards the successful completion of assessment and strive to achieve a high standard in hand-on crafts. Students who successfully complete the year are better equipped to meet the demands of further schooling.