Aberdeen City Councillors have praised a series of interventions devised by the local authority to provide learning support to pupils, particularly through the current Covid-19 pandemic
The Council’s Education Operational Delivery Committee were yesterday (Wednesday 26 January) updated on the work undertaken over the last 12 months by the Supporting Learners Workstream, a partnership including Education Service officers, an Educational Psychologist, school senior leaders and Trades Union representatives to respond to the changing support needs of children and young people.
In addition to the innovative, highly praised use of digital technology to support home learning during Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, the work includes the establishment of a specialist Additional Needs and Outreach Service.
The service brings together various strands of additional needs provisions including:
Hearing Support (including Aberdeen School for the Deaf), Vision Support, Fit Like? (Aberdeen’s Education Wellbeing Team, Child’s Planning Support, Dyslexia Outreach and Links Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) Hub.
The overall service is led by a Head Teacher while each of the separate strands has a dedicated Depute Teacher, Principal Teacher or Centre Manager. Flexible and peripatetic arrangements allows for working across streams which, in turn, helps ensure the sharing of best practice in providing high quality learning provisions for pupils and their families or carers.
Committee Convener, Councillor M Tauqeer Malik, said: “The work undertaken by the workstream partnership has been vital in supporting all of our young people, regardless of background or circumstance through what has been one of the most challenging periods in living memory for pupils, educators, families and carers alike.
“I am delighted that we have been able to recognise and endorse this work and I would like to thank everyone involved for their contribution which plays such an important part in ensuring that all of our children and young people have the best possible starts in life”.
This year’s annual report is the latest in a series of reports which since November 2019 have been presented to the Committee detailing the work of the Supporting Learners Workstream in building a stronger continuum for children and young people.
The Committee also agreed to instruct the Chief Education Officer to report further on the programme next year.