Support for Pupils

Pupil Support Faculty

Introduction

Welcome to the Pupil Support section of the school website.  The team offer all pupils support with health and wellbeing, reviewing their learning, planning next steps, and planning for choices and changes. Pupils belong to a House; Bell, Kelvin and Watt. Families are usually kept together in the same House.

Faculty Vision

Linlithgow Academy adopts the key aspects in Curriculum for Excellence where learners receive sustained coherent and integrated support throughout the journey to achievement and attainment.

With Getting it Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) embedded at the heart of our approach, Linlithgow Academy works closely with our partners to ensure that learners benefit from the universal support throughout their learning journey, and it is the responsibility of all staff at Linlithgow Academy, aided by the Pupil Support Faculty, to ensure that all pupils are happy, safe and achieving their potential in school.

Overall, our aim is -

• To ensure an appropriate and effective learning experience for all children
• To provide high quality and effective support for children experiencing social, emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties, using staged intervention approaches and the assessment of wellbeing (SHANNARI wheel)
• To work closely with our partners to ensure that the provision of support for children experiencing significant difficulties is met
• To work in partnership with parents/carers to ensure all children achieve their full potential at Linlithgow Academy

What is Pupil Support?

The Pupil Support Team are involved with every aspect of each pupils' progress by

• Monitoring attendance and timekeeping.
• Supporting the health and wellbeing of pupils.
• Monitoring academic progress in all subject areas.
• Interviewing, advising and supporting pupils throughout their school careers.
• Meeting with Parents, Carers and Guardians to discuss progress.
• Attending meetings with and reporting to specialist services on behalf of our pupils.
• Providing careers advice and information for pupils. Liaising with staff from Skills Development Scotland to ensure that pupils receive the best opportunities for future career planning.
• Advising on course choice options at key transition points.
• Guiding our senior pupils through the process of applying to Universities and Colleges.
• Providing references for UCAS, Colleges and prospective employers.
• Delivering a planned PSHE programme to all pupils alongside curricular subject commitments.

Child Protection

"As children and young people, we have a right to be protected and be safe from harm from others" (Protecting Children and Young People: The Charter 2004). 

Every member of staff in our school has a duty of care to ensure all pupils are safe.  

​The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Articles 12 and 19, and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 ensures children's welfare and rights are central, and makes it a duty for any adult having care and control of a child to act in a child's best interests.

All school staff are briefed on Child Protection protocol annually by Designated Child Protection Officers, based on Child Protection Guidelines which staff must follow if someone shares a concern or allegation with them or if they themselves have a concern over a young person's safety or welfare.

West Lothian Child Protection Committee Procedures Child Protection Procedures (PDF) [1MB] (opens new window)

Additional Support for Learning (ASL)

"Every child and young person is entitled to support to enable them to gain as much as possible from the opportunities which Curriculum for Excellence can provide." 

(Building the Curriculum 3)

In Linlithgow Academy, the ASL team provide an integrated and collaborative approach to meeting the needs of pupils through in-class support, individual and small group support and Study Skills classes. We liaise closely with all staff and external agencies involved with pupils and parents. 

ASL Staff may be involved in supporting pupils in the following ways:

·        ASL Referrals

·        Assessments/Assessment Support

·        In-class support

·        Primary Enhanced Transition

·        Literacy, Numeracy, EAL interventions

·        SQA Special Arrangements

·        IEPs

·        Faculty Link - Universal Support

·        Time out of class, agreed by GIRFEC Intervention Forum

·        Multi-agency support