Learning Support in Schools

Written by Monica Kapila, based on interview with Annette Bentley, senior study support teacher at Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) Arabian Ranches, Dubai, March 2012.

The first mistake I made was thinking the interview was going to about Learning Support. Learning Support is now sensibly called Study Support, at least in JESS Arabian Ranches secondary school. The second mistake I made was to assume that the Study Support service catered mainly to students who were not fully achieving at the level of their peer group as assessed by their teachers and curriculum levels for their ages. I also thought all children who use the service had to be referred to it by their teachers...

The Study Support service at JESS is run as a complete school support unit. JESS have named it the OASIS and it is a resource for ALL students who feel they could benefit from some extra help at some point in their school life. In this respect it caters for three types of student, those who are gifted and talented, those who are perhaps underachieving and a middle student who maybe needs some extra help or a sounding board from time to time in certain subjects.

The OASIS doesn’t only help with the academic side of things; it also provides practical help when perhaps a student is unable to write due to a temporary injury. It also acts as a place for students to discuss any school related issues in a safe environment without being judged. Some students are being helped with organizational issues that are so vital to get right at an early stage in secondary school. Occasionally students struggle to bring in the correct equipment, books or kit they need on a particular day and a simple colour coded timetable done together with study support may help in this regard. The talented and well trained staff can act as a buffer between subject teachers and students and often involve parents as part of their team approach to get things as right as possible for a student.

The system of referring a student for study support is still of course in place and it is usually subject teachers who pick up that a student could benefit from study support. The OASIS often then carry out a series of diagnostic tests that help pinpoint where the problem lies and then devise a series of strategies that can improve the situation. Common issues in the Study Support area generally, not specifically at JESS, are linked to Reading Skills and comprehension of maths. Concepts of space and shape seem to be particular issues for some students. As well as online packages for specific issues such as spelling there are a variety of worksheets that are deployed to reinforce certain basic concepts.

Often staff in the OASIS can go over concepts more slowly and sometimes that is all it takes. I was surprised at the level of skill (even up to Key Stage 4 - GCSEs) that the OASIS have to help with various difficult bits of maths ! Similarly if a student is doing a verbal presentation for example, they can have a very useful practice with the study support group and this maybe is all it takes to dispel those initial nerves that can make dent in a grade or level.

All students are assessed in English and Maths at various times in secondary school, once when they enter and again at the end of year 9 to just double check if there any glaring issues that need attention.

Often study support sessions happen within school time sometimes during lunch and occasionally before school. The typical length of a session is 55 minutes, similar to a standard lesson. The KDHA has recently identified Learning/Study Support as a valid and important factor of everyday school life and realize it is widespread. The stigma and sometimes negative connotations connected to Learning Support are gradually but surely being dispelled and JESS has definitely taken steps in right direction by calling the service Study Support.

It is roughly helping around 100 students at a variety of levels at any one time, an impressive feat given there are only 3 full time team members at present supported by the school psychologist. There are plans to expand the team for the next academic year. The unit in primary school is still called Learning Support. Please let us know whether you were aware of the concept of Study Support, tell us whether it exists in your school, do they do things differently?