Support for Learning

Welcome to your Support for Learning website. Please use this site for advice and information on Additional Support for Learning available within the Williamwood High School community.

“Every learner achieving their potential and being fully supported to realise this”

“The support I have received from SFL has been life changing, the people in SFL at Williamwood have helped me overcome my challenges and achieve things, not just school, but my whole life, that I never thought I could do. They showed me potential I never even realised I had.”

Max

“The Support for Learning department are so inclusive, the support I have received has helped me greatly through S1. With this in place I can now focus on my next steps into S3, and beyond, instead of worrying about the difficulties I used to face.”

S2 Pupil

Support & Interventions

SUPPORT
INTERVENTIONS

DYSLEXIA

What is Dyslexia

Scottish Working Definition of Dyslexia

Dyslexia can be described as a lifelong range of difficulties in learning to read, write and/or spell, which persist despite the provision of appropriate learning opportunities. 

These difficulties often do not reflect an individual’s cognitive abilities and may not be typical of performance in other areas. The impact of dyslexia as a barrier to learning varies in degree according to the learning and teaching environment.

COMMON DIFFICULTIES

  • Reading, writing and spelling

IDENTIFYING DYSLEXIA AT WILLIAMWOOD

At Williamwood, we have the ability to investigate and identify dyslexia. This is a robust and in depth process which may involve:

  • Conversations with the young person
  • Engagement with teaching staff and parents/carers
  • A two stage assessment process
  • Involvement from an Educational Psychologist

We currently have a small team to complete this process. A general timescale, from initial concerns to a decision, is up to 1 year. 

For more information please email: mailwilliamwood@williamwood.e-renfrew.sch.uk

HOW DO WE SUPPORT DYSLEXIA?

Some common examples of support for dyslexia at Williamwood are:

  • Provision of ICT hardware (Laptops, Chromebooks)
  • Access to ICT reading and writing support (IVONA, Co-writer)
  • Speech-to-text software (available on Google, Microsoft, mobile devices and tablets)
  • Collaboration with teaching staff to discuss appropriate support strategies in class

HELPFUL INFORMATION

www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk 
www.addressingdyslexia.org
www.callscotland.org.uk

ICT DEVICES

WHAT IS ICT
ICT or laptop support is where our young people require access to a computer to help them navigate the daily demands of the curriculum. In general, our young people utilise this to support with literacy and writing tasks, in class, however our laptops are also used for numeracy and organisation.

HOW DO I KNOW IF ICT SUPPORT IS REQUIRED?
Typically, a young person would receive ICT support where an identification of dyslexia is in place or where literacy difficulties have been identified.  In addition to this, where there is a difficulty in quality or speed of writing, ICT support may also be necessary. 

WHAT SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE?
We have a bank of Chromebooks available for our young people to access. Identified pupils are welcome to borrow these when needed, using a sign out system. 

For some pupils a dedicated laptop may be necessary. Please contact your Support for Learning team who can advise you if think this is required.

CAN I BRING MY OWN DEVICE TO USE IN SCHOOL?
Absolutely!
Although we do advise that if damage is a concern then this may not be the best option. Neither Williamwood High School or East Renfrewshire Council can be held liable for any damage to personal items.

 

VISUAL STRESS

WHAT IS VISUAL STRESS?
Visual stress is when someone has difficulty with the demands of reading causing visual discomfort or disturbance when they read. Common symptoms include fuzziness/blurring of text, movement of text, headaches when reading, difficulty keeping place when reading and issues with brightness.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY YOUNG PERSON HAS VISUAL STRESS?
Typically, concerns would be raised by the young person, or their family. This would then lead to an investigation by a visual professional being completed. 

HOW DO WE SUPPORT VISUAL STRESS?
Once an external assessment has been completed, our young people are usually given some recommendations and support strategies.  This may include things like :

Once we receive these recommendations, your Support for Learning team will work with the young person to tailor support appropriately.

AT HOME SUPPORT

READ & WRITE
 
CHROMEBOOK
  • To access Read&Write on a young person’s own Chromebook at home, a new profile will need to be created at the usual log in screen.
  • Once this has been done, log in to the Chromebook as would usually happen in school (the only difference is to add @er.glow.scot on the end of their Glow username).
  • The Chromebook will then create a profile which looks identical to what our young people are used to in school. 
  • There should now be a jigsaw piece in the top right of the screen which contains lots of helpful support apps including Read&Write.

LAPTOP (WINDOWS)
*Please note: you need to use Google Chrome to access this*

GOOGLE CHROME SIGN IN

HEARING IMPAIRMENT

HOW IS A HEARING IMPAIRMENT SUPPORTED AT WILLIAMWOOD?

Many of our pupils, and staff, have a hearing impairment and are supported with this whilst in school. To help support our young people, staff :

  • Collaborate in the gathering of up to date background information about our visually impaired young people
  • Are informed on technolgy to utilise in class (where required) such as hearing pens and radio aids
  • Are considerate and adaptive in their approach to movement, the class environment and noise levels and how this affects hearing impaired pupils
  • Are mindful in their approach to class content such as making sure subtitles are available for videos

WHO IS INVOLVED?
Everyone
However, we also work closely with our hearing impairment department based at Isobel Mair School.  The hearing impairment team routinely visits our hearing impaired pupils and implements support strategies as and when required.

HELPFUL INFORMATION (HEARING)
www.ndcs.org.uk
rnid.org.uk

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

HOW IS A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SUPPORTED AT WILLIAMWOOD?
Many of our pupils (and staff) have a visual impairment and are supported with this in school. To help support our young people, staff:

  • Collaborate in the gathering of up to date background information about our visually impaired young people
  • Are considerate and adaptive in their approach to class content and visuals and how they are displayed appropriately
  • Are mindful in their approach to class content such as making sure text font and size is appropriate for individual pupils

WHO IS INVOLVED?
Everyone
However, we also work closely with our visual impairment department, based at Isobel Mair School.  The visual impairment team routinely visits our hearing impaired pupils and implements support strategies as and when required.

HELPFUL INFORMATION (VISUAL)

www.rnib.org.uk

FRESH START  (READING INTERVENTION)

WHO IS IT FOR?
Fresh Start is a phonics programme for pupils requiring additional support with reading. Pupils are taught at their ‘challenge’ (current ability) point either individually or in a small group.

Fresh Start is for pupils who:

  • are not yet reading age appropriately
  • have missed schooling or are late arrivals into school
  • are new to the UK education system
  • are learning English as an additional language.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Every day, pupils learn new letter-sounds and review previous sounds and words. They apply what they’ve been taught by reading words containing the sounds they know in lively, age-appropriate stories and non-fiction texts closely matched to their phonic knowledge. By the end of the programme, they are able to read these sounds and words accurately and fluently. 

TIME REQUIRED FOR LEARNING
Pupils are taught either individually or in a small group for 25 minutes each day. Pupils therefore learn at their ‘challenge’ level for over two hours a week. The duration of the course depends on each pupil’s starting place. Some pupils might need only a few weeks’ of tutoring whilst others may need two or three terms.  

Typically, at Williamwood, we aim to allocate an initial 6 week block to our pupils undertaking Fresh Start.

KEYBOARD SKILLS

WHO IS IT FOR?
The keyboarding skills group is for pupils who require extra practise with their keyboarding skills and abilities. As ICT becomes more and more prominent in our daily lives it is imperative that our young people are prepared to deal with this.  The keyboarding skills group allows pupils to confidently develop their typing abilities following our keyboarding curriculum.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Pupils meet once a week to practise their typing skills with other pupils requiring similar support. Pupils follow our online typing curriculum which directs pupils from beginner to confident touch typist by utilising tuition, tasks and assessments.

TIME REQUIRED FOR LEARNING
There are a total of 7 different lessons on the touch typing course and this usually lasts up to a term of school time.

SOCIAL SKILLS

WHO IS IT FOR?
The keyboarding skills group is for pupils who require extra practise with their keyboarding skills and abilities. As ICT becomes more and more prominent in our daily lives it is imperative that our young people are prepared to deal with this. The keyboarding skills group allows pupils to confidently develop their typing abilities following our keyboarding curriculum.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Pupils meet once a week to practise their typing skills with other pupils requiring similar support. Pupils follow our online typing curriculum which directs pupils from beginner to confident touch typist by utilising tuition, tasks and assessments.

TIME REQUIRED FOR LEARNING
There are a total of 7 different lessons on the touch typing course and this usually lasts up to a term of school time.

NUMERACY INTERVENTIONS

WHO IS IT FOR?
The keyboarding skills group is for pupils who require extra practise with their keyboarding skills and abilities.  As ICT becomes more and more prominent in our daily lives it is imperative that our young people are prepared to deal with this.  The keyboarding skills group allows pupils to confidently develop their typing abilities following our keyboarding curriculum.
 
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Pupils meet once a week to practise their typing skills with other pupils requiring similar support. Pupils follow our online typing curriculum which directs pupils from beginner to confident touch typist by utilising tuition, tasks and assessments.
 
TIME REQUIRED FOR LEARNING
There are a total of 7 different lessons on the touch typing course and this usually lasts up to a term of school time.
 
ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS
WE SUPPORT ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AS PER SQA GUIDELINES

ICT SUPPORT

We offer ICT support to pupils who require this.  For many the use of ICT can make the exams process a smoother more efficient experience.
 
HOW DOES ICT SUPPORT WORK?
Pupils who require ICT use to complete an exam would still use a paper copy of the exam to gather info on content and questions.  However, they would then use a computer or laptop to type their answers.
 
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR ICT SUPPORT?
Every candidate is eligible for use of ICT in an SQA exam.
 
HOW DO I KNOW IF I REQUIRE ICT SUPPORT?
Our candidates usually require IT support if:
  • they have messy handwriting
  • they are slower at handwriting than typing
  • they have an additional support need that means ICT will help them achieve their potential
 

DIGITAL QUESTION PAPER

A digital question paper (DQP for short) is a digital version of the question paper that appears on the computer screen and which can be used to have the content read out to a young person.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A DIGITAL QUESTION PAPER?
Generally, Digital question papers can be used by candidates identified as having additional support needs who have an approved assessment arrangement. An example of an additional support need which qualifies for a digital question paper, would be dyslexia.
 
HOW DOES AN ELIGIBLE YOUNG PERSON OBTAIN SUPPORT WITH A DIGITAL QUESTION PAPER?
Like other assessment arrangements we use the SQA evidence based approach. Teachers and support staff will monitor and gather evidence for eligible pupils that they believe may benefit from a digital question paper. This is to ensure a tailored approach for each young person.  

For example, not every young person with dyslexia will require a digital question paper and in some cases it can be detrimental.  Therefore a blanket approach is not the best approach in this circumstance.

HOW IS A YOUNG PERSON SUPPORTED WITH DIGITAL QUESTION PAPERS?
We run training sessions and check in with each of our young people who are sitting a digital question paper. If you are unsure about this process please come and speak to the support team direct.

SEPARATE ACCOMMODATION

WHAT IS SEPARATE ACCOMMODATION?
Separate accommodation is an additional arrangement whereby pupils sit their examination outwith the main hall or examination room. This can be on an individual basis or in small group accommodation with other pupils receiving similar support.
 
ARE THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEPARATE ACCOMMODATION?
Yes, as per SQA guidelines

Individual accommodation 
Individual accommodation should be used where the assessment arrangement requires dialogue between the candidate and a support assistant, for example a prompter, a reader or scribe, or when a candidate’s assessment environment is different, for example using sign language to communicate. 

A candidate with extreme anxiety and who is unable to complete their assessment in a room with others may also need to be in individual accommodation. 

Individual accommodation can also be used to support candidates who need access to other amenities during an assessment, for example learners who are diabetic and need to check blood sugar levels or take food and drink into an exam, or candidates who are coeliac. 

Small group accommodation 
Small group accommodation may be suitable for candidates who find the main hall overwhelming due to anxiety or stress but are able to complete an exam in a small group setting. 

To protect the integrity of SQA external assessments, this arrangement must not be considered where the assessment arrangement requires dialogue between the candidate and a support assistant, for example a prompter, a reader or scribe, or when a candidate’s assessment environment is different, for example using sign language to communicate. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SEPARATE ACCOMMODATION?
Separate accommodation is an assessment arrangement used for learners who need to complete exams, or other assessments, in a separate room. The particulars of this vary but some examples are pupils who require a prompter, reader, scribe or signed response, pupils who require dialogue that may cause a disturbance for other candidates, pupils who have anxiety or stress surrounding completing their exam in the main hall or pupils who have a health condition which might make it necessary for them to leave the exam hall.
 
The conditions for allocation of the above forms of support will vary by candidate and is carefully considered on a case by case basis.  This is to ensure that our assessments or National Qualifications are robust, rigorous and fair for all candidates. Please contact Learning Support or Pupil Support if you are unsure if your young person meets the eligibility criteria for any of these supports.

READER, SCRIBE & PROMPT

READER

WHAT HAPPENS WITH A READER?

A human reader reads out text, verbatim, in an assessment to enable the candidate to access it. This may involve reading out all written instructions and questions to the candidate, or only certain questions and words as directed by the candidate. Candidates may also ask that their written responses are read back to them. 
 
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A READER?
The use of a human reader is allowed to meet the needs of candidates who have substantial difficulties with reading text (e.g – dyslexia) and who cannot access the assessment material by other more appropriate means, for example, by using a text/screen reader.
 

SCRIBE

WHAT HAPPENS WITH A SCRIBE?
A scribe records a candidate’s dictated responses, either by hand or using ICT. This may involve scribing all the candidate’s responses, or only words or responses to certain questions that the candidate requests. The scribe cannot enhance or refine the candidate’s dictated responses, but can use their discretion with regard to the correct spelling of a word and, where necessary, the correct punctuation.
 
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A SCRIBE?
The use of a scribe can be allowed in assessments to meet the needs of disabled candidates who have substantial difficulties with writing (e.g – dysgraphia) and who cannot produce their written responses by any other more appropriate means, for example by using appropriate ICT.
 

PROMPT

WHAT HAPPENS WITH A PROMPT?
A prompter is someone who is present during an assessment to ensure that a candidate stays on task. A prompter can draw a pupils attention back to the task however, they will not be able to give any advice on what question to answer, how much time that should be spent on each question, or explain any words or questions to the pupil. 
 
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A PROMPT?
A prompter may be required where a candidate has little or no sense of time or has significant concentration difficulties (e.g – ADHD or ADD). The prompter may sit beside the candidate to keep their attention on the assessment. 

EXTRA TIME

In assessments and National Qualifications that have timed external assessments, both the school and SQA recognises that some candidates, due to their disability or Additional Support Need, may need extra time to complete these assessments. 
 
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Only candidates who have been identified as having a particular disability or Additional Support Need and where there is appropriate evidence of their ongoing need for extra time are eligible.
 
HOW DO WE ENSURE EXTRA TIME IS ALLOCATED CORRECTLY?
The process of identifying which candidates require extra time and how much extra is needed is an ongoing and continuous process throughout a young persons time at Williamwood.  In this way we aim to tailor extra time allocation for an eligible candidate. This is done to ensure the correct extra time provision for the young person and maintain equity and fairness in relation to their peers. Young people, identified as potentially requiring extra time will be involved in teacher/pupil conversations, have an involvement with Learning Support and will work with staff to gather evidence as per SQA guidelines.
 
HOW DO WE GATHER EVIDENCE?
The conditions for allocation of Extra Time support will vary by candidate and is carefully considered on a case by case basis.  This is to ensure that our assessments or National Qualifications are robust, rigorous and fair for all candidates. Please contact Learning Support or Pupil Support if you are unsure if your young person meets the eligibility criteria for any of these supports.

 

It is important that we have the necessary evidence available to support the provision of extra time in assessments and exams. 

The amount of extra time required may vary according to the candidate’s individual needs. As a school we are required to gather appropriate evidence indicating : 

  • the impact of the candidate’s disability, or Additional Support Need, on their ability to complete tasks in a specified time.
  • that a candidate is already, normally, given and uses extra time to complete other class learning activities, tasks and assessments.
  • that a specific amount of extra time is appropriate. 
 

The conditions for allocation of Extra Time support will vary by candidate and is carefully considered on a case by case basis. This is to ensure that our assessments or National Qualifications are robust, rigorous and fair for all candidates. Please contact Learning Support or Pupil Support if you are unsure if your young person meets the eligibility criteria for any of these supports.

Our Staff

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