16 Apr 2018
Our school's LaST
My name is Allison Morris. I began my teaching career in 1988 in south-western Sydney. I have taught in a number of schools where the learning needs are like the ones here at Illawong Public School.
I work four days per week, Monday to Thursday. As the LaST my role is to support students, teachers and the school executive to implement programs supporting the learning needs of students at our school.
This can include but is not limited to teaching in the classroom, in small groups and demonstration lessons or working with individuals.
A lot of my time is spent on planning for individuals with high support needs in terms of health care, learning, behaviour, social skills or all of these. I complete the funding applications for students who qualify for additional support and liaise with other personnel to get the support needed.
I also co-ordinate the school's Learning Support Team (LST). The team is made up of the executive team Ms Birch, Mrs Tardent, Ms Geddes and the School counsellor Mrs Davis. We meet every week to discuss the learning and support needs of the students with other staff attending the meetings when they relate to a student in their class.
Referrals for support
Referrals to the Learning Support Team are completed through the class teacher. A referral usually occurs after the teacher has tried a range of strategies and they have not helped
Once a referral is made the student's needs are discussed at the next meeting and a course of action is decided. Action options may include support action such as:
- targeted support
- inclusion in small withdrawal group
- individual plan for learning or behaviour
- testing or interview with the school counsellor
If you have concerns about your child's progress
If you have any concerns regarding your child's academic progress or any other aspect of their school life, the class teacher is the first person to speak to. They will be in the best position to give you accurate feedback about the student or make referrals if help is needed.