Our
Learner Development Team

What do we do?

Applewood has a whole team dedicated to supporting and extending our children. Parents, teachers and assistants play a vital role in assisting our children to have the best possible chance at success. The purpose of this structure is to address the learning support needs of students through the coordination, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of educational programs. Applewood utilizes a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavioral needs. This approach is based on a 3-tiered system: Classroom differentiation, targeted classroom intervention and finally, specialised intervention.

Who is the team?

In principle, every teacher is part of the learner development team. Teachers play a vital role as case managers. However, their participation will vary according to the specific needs of students. The Learner Development Team is coordinated by the Learning Leaders of Learner Development. They, in turn, collaborate with external service providers.

How do we do it?

The Applewood team works collaboratively in order to:

Create a holistic view of our children by identifying and understanding their strengths and needs. This is accomplished by determining their present level of performance and recording this through observations.
Deepen understanding of curriculum objectives to find solutions to supporting and extending children.

Assist one another in adapting lessons and teaching environments to best suit the individual needs of our children.
Create meaningful, researched-based intervention groups so as to close gaps in children’s learning.
Monitor and review progress of children facing difficulties or those being extended.
Empower parents and caregivers in supporting their children at home.
Have team meetings to ensure that communication is open with a common goal in mind.

Provide professional development opportunities which allow us to keep up with the latest research and trends in education and child development.

What if my child needs more?

Applewood’s Learner Development Team can help with:

Referrals to external professionals
Developing Individual Education Plans

Providing test or exam facilitation when recommended
Study skills and metacognition workshops

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