Esperance Shs Education Support Centre Esperance
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| The Esperance SHS Education Support Centre opened in 1998 on a shared campus with the Esperance SHS and the Esperance Residential College. The purpose built facility includes four teaching areas (one of which is located in the south wing of the partner school), a kitchen facility, a shower and toilet facilities for people with disabilities, a therapy room, a teacher preparation area and a storeroom. The ESC principal and registrar are housed in the central administration block. Esperance SHS Education Support Centre is a Level Three school. The Centre has a principal, a registrar, six teachers and seven education assistants. The Esperance SHS ESC presently caters for 24 students from a diverse range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds enrolled in Years 8 to 12. Excellence in teaching is achieved through the employment of specialist Education Support teachers and Education Assistants. Integration provides access to the wider curriculum and is enhanced by specialists from the partner school. We cater for students with special needs and offer programs in the least restrictive environment with all students participating in classes at Esperance SHS for part of the day. Individual Education Plans and Individual Transition Plans are developed in consultation with parents, students and where appropriate a multi-disciplinary team. Pastoral care is facilitated by small class sizes, strong relationships between staff and students, access to mainstream form rooms, the school nurse, the chaplain and the school psychologist. Strong links are forged with the community by liaison with other agencies. Programs such as structured workplace learning, community access and recreation foster wider community awareness. The School Advisory Board meets once a term to look at implementation of the School Plan and related issues. In order to facilitate greater community/parental involvement we invite our entire parent body to be involved in the School Advisory Council and combine meetings with social events. We have a commitment to the principles and practices of participative decision-making. An emphasis on collegiality exists within the Education Support Centre and between the partner schools. Esperance Senior High School Education Support centre is the only level three education support school in the Esperance District. It provides a secondary program to those students identified as education support. It also provides support to other schools in this district in the area of education support. Students in the centre are encouraged to take an active role in their community. Through structured workplace learning, community access, participation in community events, etc students learn more about Esperance and their place within it. Parents are always welcome within the Centre and since 2002 the staff have tried to include more parents in decision-making processes by combining social events with Advisory Council Meetings. Parents and staff have found this process to be extremely benefical. Students are also encouraged through school programs to be active members of the senior high school community. By participating in whole school events and through their involvement in mainstream classes, students have the opportunity to interact with their peers in meaningful and productive ways. The purpose of the Esperance Senior High School Education Support Centre is to deliver individual programs in a positive, caring environment to assist students to develop intellectual, practical, physical and social skills to reach their potential as independent, valued contributors to society. The staff implement a varied program, designed to address the learning needs of all students and equip them with skills to enable them to function as members of the broader community. Teaching staff incorporate the principles of an outcomes approach into their planning, using the Standards and Outcomes Framework and monitor the individual learning needs through individual education plans. This school, in collaborative partnership with the community, offers a responsive and supportive curriculum to develop resilient and motivated individuals who choose to live healthy and enriched lives. As in other years, the ESC will allocate part of its staffing allocation to the Senior High School to assist with the Inclusion Program. The Esperance SHS ESC is the feeder school for schools that have students enrolled in education support units or in mainstream settings and who have been identified as education support students. The majority of our students are resident within Esperance. However, some do travel on the bus to reach us. Students who enrol at Esperance SHS Education Support Centre are those who have previously been identifed as being eligible for education support services. This includes students from both the state system as well as the private schools in town. In 2006, student numbers are slightly higher in our lower school cohort. Of the 24 students, 11 are girls and 13 are boys. Our largest group is the year 8 students and the smallest groups are in year 9 and 10. In order to meet the needs of all students, we offer the following: INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS: Programs developed in collaboration between teaching staff, parents, students and other stakeholders targeting the individual needs of students. These programs support classroom teaching and address the specific needs of each individual student. Programs can cover a wide range of areas and may include the following: social skills, health and personal hygiene, community access, money handling, transition to work, working in the mainstream, speech, recreation and curriculum based skills (English, Maths, Reading, Writing, Computer, etc.) INDIVIDUAL TRANSITION PLANS: Individual Transition Plans (ITP), which plan for individual students transition to the post school world. These are developed in collaboration with students, parents and staff and take into account the individuals skills and needs as a member of society. INCLUSION IN MAINSTREAM (dependent on needs of the individual student): In year 8, inclusion in taster units, Physical Education, Drama, metal work and Computing. In year 9 and 10, inclusion in Technology, Arts, Physical Education and other elective subjects. In year 11 and 12 Inclusion in electives: Design & Technology, Home Economics, Business, Art, Drama, Childcare, Physical Education. Students chose area of interest. PREPARATION FOR WORK: Year 9 students participate in competencies linked to Structured Workplace Learning. Field trips, employer interviews job research are all part of the year 9 program. In year 10, half day weekly Structured Workplace Learning Placement and workplace related skills are taught. In year 11 and 12 one day a week (depending on students individual programs and readiness for work). Students achieve generic competencies, which are assessed in the workplace by the students workplace supervisor. Students access the workplace independently or with appropriate level of support. In Year 12 students may progress to Specific Workplace competencies. School Based Traineeships may also be an option for some students. In Career and Industry Awareness, students learn about the changing workplace, making career decisions, applying for jobs and the interview process. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING: Is a course that prepares students for the workplace. The course is based on Work Readiness Certificate 1. This course also includes Structured Workplace Learning and Career & Industry Awareness. Vocational English and Maths are practical subjects which use the workplace as the focus for all assignments CAMPS: Year 8, 9 and 10 students attend a recreational camp. During this camp the sudents are required to demonstrate independent living skills, self-care skills and interpersonal skills. The year 11 and 12 students participate in a careers camp. Students visit relevant workplaces and explore issues such as Occupational Health and Safety requirements in those areas. Camps also incorporate Social Skills and Independent Living. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS: This can involve the students in Cooking, Shopping, Money Management, Self Care and Community Access. These sessions form part of the program offered in the ESC and are developed based on individual and/or group needs. RECREATION: As part of the Lower School program students participate in a range of recreational activities. This can include sport, swimming, excursions, games and other planned activities. In upper school, preparation for post school. The focus is on the importance and diversity of recreational pursuits for a balanced life, opportunities to develop decision-making, negotiation and organisational skills STRUCTURED WORKPLACE LEARNING is a significant part of the educational program delivered by Esperance SHS Education Support Centre. Preparation for work commences in year 9 with students participating in an increasing amount of time in work between then and the end of year 12. Placements are arranged by staff, taking into account the interests of the students, their skills and suitable work places. Skills necessary for work are covered in class with observations of skills and competencies taking place both there and in work settings. The school is fortunate to have been able to access many work placements for students through the generosity and support of the local business community. The school recognises the support of businesses through the presentation of a Certificate of Appreciation. Some of our students require one-to-one support while they are in the workplace. The school organises this support by employing Job Support Workers through Employment Esperance. The support provided enables students to access work placements that they would otherwise be unable to access as well as benefiting from the support of an experienced mentor. | ||||
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