Support Programs
The Seven Hills High School Learning and Support team assists teachers in supporting the individual needs of students.
Support is provided in the form of withdrawal programs, small group tasks, differentiated units of work and/or specialised programming within the classroom.
Identification of students with a specific need is based on information received from their primary school, Student Adviser referrals, data records, testing (e.g., NAPLAN), parent requests, and/or referrals from classroom teachers.
Our Learning and Support team consists of Joanna Jordan, Learning and Support Teacher and 12 School Learning Support Officers (SLSOs).
At Seven Hills High School our literacy intervention programs consist of the following:
The MultiLit Reading Tutor Program: This program is designed to improve student reading accuracy and fluency levels. Sessions are delivered one-on-one, for thirty minutes, three times per week with a member of the Learning and Support Team. A pre and post test is undertaken to evaluate student performance. Achievement in each session is entered into student booklets. As students' reading accuracy increases, they progress through the levels.
Upon completion of MultiLit, students undertake a ‘transition to reading group’ program. Sessions are delivered one-on-one, for thirty minutes, three times per week with a focus on comprehension and fluency and consist of reading and comprehension worksheets.
Reading Group: Identified students engage in a weekly reading group for one hour, where they focus on comprehension and fluency. The program assists students in developing skills that will enable them to independently participate in class activities. Formative assessment is used to determine progress. This includes utilising reading comprehension boxes (fortnightly) and tutor observations. Student progress is regularly evaluated to ensure appropriate strategies are implemented.
Writing Group: Students who require support with elements of writing are invited to participate in a weekly writing group. The program addresses sentence structure, grammar and punctuation, how to write sentences and forming peel paragraphs. Students work through explicit focus areas of writing. As they demonstrate competency in skills, they move to the next level. Student work samples are used to assess progress.
At Seven Hills High School we use QuickSmart as our Numeracy intervention program.
QuickSmart is an evidence-based basic skills intervention program that focuses on understanding and recall of basic number facts, performance of elementary calculations, acquisition of appropriate mathematics language, and problem-solving skills. The primary aim being the development of number facts automaticity. Students who require support with their numeracy will take part in thirty-minute sessions, three times per week. Student performance is tracked each session via flashcards and spreadsheets, weekly OZCAAS and progress testing. As students achieve success at specified level, they move on to the next phase according to their performance.
In addition to our Literacy and Numeracy programs, we support students in the classroom. This helps them understand the content delivered, engage with the resources provided, and develop confidence in their ability. When students feel supported, they are more likely to ask questions, seek clarification, and actively participate in class discussions, which leads to improved learning outcomes.
Each student is unique. Providing support in and out of the classroom allows us to address individual needs. Tailoring teaching methods and offering additional help can make the learning experience more relevant and accessible to all students.