West of England College

1
Effective Learning Support -The Key to Quality
and Success

• West of England College

• Angie Ward and Sue Prescott

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West of England College

• Report 3 - Headings

• Factors that contribute to effective management
  and deployment of LSAs and learning support
  across the organisation
• Factors that contribute to effective management
  of LSAs and learning support in the classroom

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Structuring the Findings in the Report
A A culture and ethos that values Learning
Support B An established LSA
workforce Planning the LSA workforce Appropria
te recruitment Effective induction
Effective deployment C Inclusive quality
assurance and performance management
system Quality assurance Observation of
Practice Performance Management (supervision
and appraisal) Effective MIS
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Structuring the Findings in the Report
D Effective CPD and professional support
E Effective working relationships - Between
Learners, LSAs and Teachers - Effective
assessment, ILPs and support plans - Joint
planning, review and evaluation -
Effective use of ICT and assistive technology
- Support that empowers the learner with other
professionals and stakeholders
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Factors contributing to effective management of
LSAs in the classroom

• Focus of this session

E Effective working relationships Between
Learners, LSAs and Teachers - Effective
assessment, ILPs and support plans
- Joint planning, review and evaluation
- Effective use of ICT and assistive
technology - Support that empowers the
learner
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Effective Working Relationships

• Between Learners LSAs and Teachers

Factor 24 Conduct full and detailed assessment
Factor 25 Work together to develop and deliver
specialist learning support Factor
26 Work together in assessing and
reviewing learning to inform delivery Factor
27 Work together to evaluate learning
support and implement new strategies
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Effective Working Relationships

• Between Learners LSAs and Teachers

Factor 28 Provide support that promotes
independence and empowers learners Factor
29 Use social networking technology to access
learning support Factor 30 Use assistive
technologies regularly and appropriately
8
Factor 24

• Conduct Full and Detailed Assessment

Effective assessment by LSAs leads to an
Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that clearly
identifies the support needs required to be
delivered together with the strategies and
resources that will enable the learner to reach
their aspirations. All our learners are
assessed in English and Maths and it is often
these assessments that identify learners with
undiagnosed additional needs who are then enabled
to access support throughout the duration of
their course. Assessments include Tutors, LSAs,
Occupation Therapists, Behaviour Assessors and
Speech and Language Therapists
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Factor 24

• Conduct Full and Detailed Assessment cont.

Pre placement assessment consists of 2 full days
assessment incorporating an overnight stay. The
specialist assessments are carried out by
Occupational Therapist (OT), Behaviour Assessors
(BA) and Speech and Language Therapists (SLT).
The assessment includes residential, life skills,
Teaching and Learning and vocational aptitude.
All learners take the English Speaking Board
communication exam. From this we establish that
learners range from milestone 8 to Level 2. All
the information is collated and funding applied
for through YPLA. For example Some learners
arrive with diagnosed SPLC and some are
identified as having communication needs through
our assessments. Those learners receive therapy
from SLT who also advise effective strategies.
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Factor 24

• Conduct Full and Detailed Assessment cont.

• Our tutors are trained as Quality Assured Tutors
  in Speech and Language Support Level 4 by Elklan.
  LSAs achieved Level 3 in Supporting Speech and
  Language for Post-16s as part of a Natspec pilot.
• Achieving Elklan at Level 3 and 4 enables both
  Tutors and LSPs to
• Recognise communication needs and contribute to
  the initial assessment process and
  ongoing review for learners
• Be able to understand and communicate more
  effectively with learners
• Apply theory to understand and respond
  effectively to behaviour
• Liaise effectively with SLT and OT as have a
  greater understanding of SPLC and confidence in
  delivering and implementing support strategies.
  i.e. more time, total communication,
  differentiated resources, visual aids, ICT, Blank
  level assessment comic strip conversations,
  social stories
• Use tools to monitor and review and evaluate

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Factor 25

• Work Together to Deliver Specialist Learning
  Support

I am an LSA in an ISC and have been using my
professional development in therapeutic input to
develop sensory stories to deliver a
multi-sensory experience to some of our learners.
Initially I have a discussion with the class
teacher to agree on an appropriate story or
theme, individual targets and outcomes. The
story is delivered as a whole group session
weekly throughout a term. It works well
because it is delivered at the right pace, is
repetitive so the learners can anticipate future
events as well as being extended as the term
progresses.
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Factor 25

• Work Together to Deliver Specialist Learning
  Support cont.

I identify targets for individuals at the
beginning of each term and then they are broken
down into smaller weekly targets which are
assessed at the end of each session. The
activity is successful when the targets are set
appropriately, reviewed regularly and achieved. A
major contributor to the success of the use of
these stories is to have support from other LSAs
working in the group. I need them to engage and
support the learner during the session to promote
a holistic learning experience for them. I also
need them to be enthusiastic and encouraging to
all learners. Another major contributor to
achieving a successful outcome is to have each
session well prepared.
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Factor 26

• Work Together in Assessing and Reviewing Learning
  to Inform Delivery

Review and evaluation of learning support
identified a need for a strategy to support a
learner with hearing impairment to learn the
meaning of words in the context of the subject
they are learning. For example, the word stress
has different meanings in psychology and
sociology. The learner was getting frustrated
and demoralised. The LSA with specialist
knowledge developed a glossary with the learner
that showed the different meaning of words in
different contexts together with the BSL sign.
This really boosted the learners confidence and
having something individually tailored to her
needs made her feel valued and supported, she
soon got back on track with her course work.
This is now being developed further and
glossaries are being developed for learners
struggling with terminology in other subject
areas and the use of these for other learners is
being explored.
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Factor 27

• Work Together to Evaluate Learning Support and
  Implement New Strategies

One learner was performing really well in her
work placement and was being assessed using the
task of laying a table. During the assessment
she continuously failed the task, becoming
confused and withdrawing. Her tutor assessed her
language level and identified that the questions
used in assessment were pitched to high. The
LSA and tutor worked together to modify the
questions to the learners language level. They
also used visual prompts and objects of reference
to prepare the learner for the assessment i.e.
Instead of asking her to list what should be on
the table, they held up a knife and said you
need a (show knife and learner said the word) and
a? (learner said fork. ) Supported by the
LSA, the learner created strategies for
remembering words and understanding what was
being asked during assessment. The learner soon
passed and her confidence has grown.
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Factor 28

• Provide Support that Promotes Independence and
  Empowers Learners

The learners identified that they were having
problems tying the aprons used in the work place
as many of them have poor fine motor skills.
They stated that they didnt want to have to
have help with the aprons and would prefer to
change the design to something they could use
independently. They were involved in choosing
and purchasing a tabard and have gone on to use
them.
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Factor 29

• Use Social Networking Technology to Access
  Learning Support

We have a student portal that enables our
learners to access a live chat facility with LSAs
through accessing a Meebo account. This is
relatively new and we have found that it is being
regularly used to access support and information
from the learning support team. We have
learners who are experiencing agoraphobia
medical conditions or mental health issues that
mean they are accessing learning virtually and
therefore need to access learning support in the
same way. Meebo is instantaneous and allows the
learner to remain anonymous and communicate any
concerns openly. Meebo is used within the
guidelines of the organisations e-safety policy.
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Factor 30

• Use Assistive Technologies Regularly and
  Appropriately

It was identified by our principal that the
learners would benefit from using assistive
technology for individualised and personalised
learning and learning support. For example, a
learner who requires support with memory and
organisation would benefit from their timetable
being programmed in to a handheld device. The
learners were consulted through learner meetings,
surveys, tutorials and taught sessions. The
learner voice representatives were given the
option to trial a small sample of hand held
devices for an afternoon. They gave feedback
that the Archos devise was useful because the
screen was larger than its competitors and
maximised accessibility for them. The learners
who took part in the pilot had varying degrees of
disability which included dyspraxia, hearing and
visual impairment as well as Downs Syndrome.
There was a mixture of current first and second
year learners, and mixed gender.
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Factor 30

• Use Assistive Technologies Regularly and
  Appropriately cont.

• The key benefits we have gained from achieving
  success in the use of assistive technology in
  this way are
• Learners have an involvement in the process and
  develop their IT skills
• It allows for session content to be pushed out
  to all learners - collectively as well as
  individually.
• Staff are trained to maintain and update
  information
• It has led to innovative teaching learning
  which further help develop independent living
  working skills.
• We won an innovation in mobile learning award
  2010
• We have been heralded as an exemplar practice
  by JISC for our outstanding commitment to
  safeguarding and linking this notion with our
  learners transition into work and independent
  living.

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Sharing and Celebrating Best Practice

• Factors contributing to effective management of
  LSAs in the classroom

• Using our list of factors in your small groups
  share a piece of practice that you feel has
  contributed to effective management of LSAs and
  learning support in the classroom
• Please be prepared to feedback key points to the
  whole group

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Thank You for Your Participation

• Factors contributing to effective management of
  LSAs in the classroom

Enhancement of Learning SupportReport 3 Sue
Prescott and Angie WardWest of England
CollegeMarch 2011