Our Pupil Support & Development (PSD) Faculty

Introduction

Visiting our school

Absence from school

Causes for concern

Specialist Services within PSD

Introduction

Mr Kelly (Senior Depute Rector) has overall responsibility for Pupil Support and Development (PSD).

All our young people are assigned to a Pupil Support teacher on entering the school. Pupil Support & Development provides the link in the educational chain between home and various faculties in the school. Although all teachers in a school have responsibility for the child's welfare, it is the PSD teacher who has an 'all round' picture of an individual pupil's progress. The PSD teacher also prepares a structured programme to help all the pupils at certain stages of development. PSD staff are therefore engaged in a number of important tasks in addition to their teaching duties:
For example

• developing close links with Primary Seven pupils and teachers of new admissions
  
• monitoring the academic progress of pupils
  
• giving advice on course choice
  
• checking on attendance and timekeeping
  
• care of pupils facing difficulties - emotional, physical and in school work
  
• preparation of reports on pupils -for employers, colleges, universities etc.
  
• contact with parents of individual pupils - by letter, telephone, interview and meeting
  
• links with supporting agencies such as the Careers Service, Social Work, community organisations etc.
  The role of Pupil Support & Development is central to much of what happens in our school. So essential is its contribution that it is our policy to involve not only teachers promoted in Pupil Support & Development but all teachers on the staff.
  
  • All staff are encouraged to take a close interest in the education and welfare of the young people they teach. Registration teachers are especially well placed in this respect.
    
  • All teachers are required to contribute to the programme of curricular and vocational support and to the personal and social development of their pupils.
    
  • All teachers are urged to contribute to the ethos of the school.
    Those who act as registration teachers work closely with PSD staff in monitoring the progress, attendance and timekeeping of their pupils.
  The role of Pupil Support & Development is central to much of what happens in our school. So essential is its contribution that it is our policy to involve not only teachers promoted in Pupil Support & Development but all teachers on the staff.The role of Pupil Support & Development is central to much of what happens in our school. So essential is its contribution that it is our policy to involve not only teachers promoted in Pupil Support & Development but all teachers on the staff.The role of Pupil Support & Development is central to much of what happens in our school. So essential is its contribution that it is our policy to involve not only teachers promoted in Pupil Support & Development but all teachers on the staff.

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Visiting our school

Parents are encouraged and always welcome to contact our school. We would ask that you please 'phone and make an appointment! PSD teachers are also classroom teachers - it is therefore advisable to contact the school office for an appointment if you wish to talk to your child's PSD teacher. Back to top

Absence from school

Section 30 of the 1980 Education Act lays a duty on every parent of a child of 'school age' to ensure that their child attends school regularly. Attendance must be recorded twice a day, morning and afternoon. Regulation 7 of The Education (School and Placing Information) (Scotland) Amendment, Regulations 1993 requires each child's absence from school to be recorded in the school register as authorised that is approved by the authority, or unauthorised - that is unexplained by the parent (truancy) or temporarily excluded from school. Every effort should be made to avoid family holidays during term time as this both disrupts the child's education and reduces learning time. Such absence will be authorised only where attendance is otherwise satisfactory. Clearly where attendance is unsatisfactory, absence is unauthorised. Parents may request that their children be permitted to be absent from school to make an extended visit to relatives. Only written requests detailing the destination, the duration and the provision that will be made for their continuing education will be granted and the pupil noted as an authorised absentee in the register. Clearly, with no explanation from the parent, the absence is unauthorised.

Parents are therefore requested to contact our school by letter or phone if their child is likely to be absent for some time, and to give the child a note on his or her return to school, confirming the reason for absence.

An authorised absence is one that is covered by a note from the parent for a reason accepted by the Authority. Unauthorised absences will be pursued by the Authority through its Officers, Children's Panels etc. Back to top

Causes for concern

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if there is something causing concern. Our Pupil Support team meet frequently to monitor progress, attendance and timekeeping - they in turn will contact you by telephone or letter to discuss both matters for concern and praise. Back to top

Specialist Services within PSD

Autism Provision.

Several years of planning and detailed preparation have come to fruition with the opening in our school of Stirling Council's secondary school provision for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The facility is available to any child of secondary school age in the Stirling Council area. The facility is well resourced and generously staffed with a specialist Principal Teacher Mrs Bridget Raeside, Mrs Sandra Leishman (Specialist Teacher) and Support for Learning Assistants. In addition various teachers contribute to the provision. The facility is likely to expand in coming years and provision has been made within the Council's PPP plans for St Modan's for this.

Careers Advice

We are fortunate to have the services of a Careers Officer, Mrs Julie Mitchell from Careers Scotland, based in the School Library (which has a dedicated Careers Section).

She is in school at the following times :
Tuesday Mornings
Wednesday Mornings
On each of these days there is a Lunchtime Surgery from 1.15 to 1.45.

Though of obvious interest to S4, S5 and S6, this service is available for all pupils. At the time of our S2 Options Programme (usually February - March of S2), additional, special provision is made.

Support for Learning

St Modan's High School has an enviable reputation for the quality of its support for pupils with learning difficulties. Within the Pupil Support Faculty we have specialists and other staff with additional qualifications in this area. Pupils of all abilities may experience learning difficulties at one time or another in their school careers so support for learning is available to all who need it. The expertise is given in a number of ways. For example a Learning Support specialist from the Pupil Support Faculty may go into a regular subject class and support pupils alongside their class teacher. Two subject teachers may also work together in class to support pupils with learning in their day to day work. A number of pupils may have a Record of Needs or an Individual Education Programme designed to ensure that their specialist needs are catered for.

Within subject departments our programmes of work are differentiated so that the most able pupils are stretched at all times whilst the least able are supported. This is our intention through SI and S2 and is followed on into S3 and S4 by Standard Grade or National Course Intermediate work at the appropriate level. Back to top

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