Education
Learning Support Programs
At St Lawrence, we are dedicated to ensuring that every child is supported, challenged, and encouraged to reach their full potential. We pride ourselves on our ability to meet the diverse learning needs of all students through targeted, data-informed teaching.
St Lawrence has assessment guidelines and an assessment schedule for the whole school, whereby all students are regularly monitored in each year level. Teachers carefully track each student’s progress using a range of assessment tools that provide rich insights into every students’ strengths and areas for growth. This data-driven approach enables us to identify learning gaps, personalise teaching to meet individual needs, and continually accelerate progress across all year levels. By responding to each student’s unique learning profile, we ensure that every child, whether they require additional support or further extension is consistently challenged, engaged, and supported to achieve their beSt
St Lawrence has specialist Teachers and Educational Assistant to provide literacy and numeracy support for students. We believe collaboration and communication with classroom teachers is an important part of this process. To best support students learning at St Lawrence we have a tiered approach to learning intervention. We believe good quality differentiated classroom teacher is the essential first step in supporting student learning. To supplement students identified as needing additional assistance, we offer small group intervention programs. These programs are outlined below. In accordance with best practice, early intervention is our priority, support groups are offered on a needs basis. In Kindy the school provides a speech screening for each child.
Current programs offered at St Lawrence are:
MINILIT
MiniLit is an intensive, small-group program. It is a structured synthetic phonics based program aimed at students who are finding reading and writing difficult. The program is engaging and incorporates the big 5 aspects of good quality literacy teaching. Including; phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Small groups of students will work through the program together for 3-4 sessions per week, of approximately 45 minutes’ duration.
MACQLIT
MacqLit is an explicit and systematic reading intervention program for small groups of older students who find reading and spelling difficult. The comprehensive sequence of lessons is engaging and includes all the key components necessary for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Small groups of students will work through the program together for 3-4 sessions per week, of approximately 45 minutes’ duration.
Promoting Numeracy Development
Small group support is available to children in the Early years to improve their knowledge and confidence with mathematics. The program offers a series of intensive small group learning experiences, designed to meet the individual needs of each child, with the aim of accelerating mathematical learning. Students are selected via consultation with the classroom teacher. Data from class work and assessments is also used to determine students.
Rainbows
Rainbows is a peer support program for children, in Years 1-6, living in a single parent or stepfamily, or who have suffered a significant loss in their life. Children meet in small groups where they are helped to identify what they may be feeling and are given some strategies to help process those feelings. It provides children with an opportunity to express their feelings in a safe and confidential setting. Grief is a normal reaction to a significant loss. Often, children do not express their grief verbally, so it surfaces in their behaviour, schoolwork, as a physical ailment or it affects their emotional development.
If you would like to register your child/children for the Rainbows program or would like further information, please email me at louise.frenzel@cewa.edu.au
External Service Providers
Parents/guardians may seek to engage with external service providers when their child requires additional health, therapy, or well-being support. The services offered by the provider may align with or complement the reasonable adjustments the school provides to facilitate the student’s access to education. If the service does not link to the student’s learning needs, the service may be better delivered outside of school hours. Entry and access to the school are always at the discretion of the Principal.
Families who would like to request the delivery of external services on the school site within school hours are asked to read the information below and complete the ‘Request to School for Third Party Clinical Access’ form. This needs to be approved by the Principal and Learning Support Coordinator for review.
Please email your completed requests to admin@stlawbal.wa.edu.au
External Service Providers in Schools PARENT INFORMATION
Request to School for Third Party Clinical Access
STEM
St Lawrence offers a dedicated STEM program in Year 6. This hands-on program encourages critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving through authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences that integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It provides an exciting opportunity for students to apply their learning in innovative and meaningful ways, preparing them for future challenges and success.
