Learning Enhancement
EVERY BOYS POTENTIAL
Newington College is dedicated to excellence in education for boys, and the realisation of each child’s potential, providing a balanced curriculum encompassing the spiritual, academic, cultural, physical and practical areas of learning.
It is the realisation of every boy’s potential that is the main goal of the Learning Enhancement Department at Newington College. The Learning Enhancement Department provides quality support to individual students, parents, classroom teachers and Heads of Department to improve literacy and numeracy skills across Year 7 – 12.
LEARNING ENHANCEMENT DEPARTMENT
The Learning Enhancement Department targets students who are prevented from achieving their academic potential due to individual learning needs. This includes students who are recognised as gifted. Click here to find out more about our Gifted Education program.
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS
The identification of a student’s individual needs is a collaborative process: a student may be identified by the subject teacher, mentor or parent and referred to the Learning Enhancement Department for further inquiry and/or assessment. Consultation and ongoing communication occurs between the Learning Enhancement staff, relevant teachers and parents to decide the best forms of support to enable the student to work to the best of their potential.
Students may be assisted through individual or small group intervention as well as teaching in Support Based Learning (SBL) classes, differentiated classes or through support in classes across the key learning areas taught by Learning Enhancement staff.
SUPPORT BASED LEARNING (SBL)
Support Based Learning (SBL) classes target students throughout Year 7 to Year 12 who are achieving below their age or stage level in literacy and/or numeracy. Taught by specialist Learning Enhancement staff, SBL focuses on remediating and reviewing the essential literacy and numeracy skills required across the key learning areas.
YR 7 AND 8
In Year 7 and Year 8, a focus is on developing key literacy skills, including vocabulary development, spelling, grammar, syntax, reading comprehension, and the identification and written composition of various text types. Another focus is on developing key numeracy skills which provides students an opportunity to consolidate Stage 3 outcomes in order to achieve at a Stage 4 level.
YR 9 AND 10
In Year 9 and Year 10, students are immersed in thematically based, high interest units of work in the subjects of History and Geography. Within these units of work students are guided to develop their written expression and research skills in preparation for Year 11 and 12.
By Years 11 and 12, SBL provides an opportunity for students to review and consolidate literacy and numeracy skills expected to perform in the Higher School Certificate. Students are guided in drafting and editing written responses as well as reviewing concepts taught and outcomes achieved. In addition, students consolidate concepts and skills in Mathematics through practice and revision.
HOMEWORK CLUB
Homework Club is an initiative run by the Learning Enhancement Department to support the literacy and numeracy skills of students in Year 7 to Year 12. Homework Club provides the opportunity for students to receive assistance with homework, assignments and study across all subject areas. Specialised Learning Enhancement Teachers focus on the individual needs of students to target areas of literacy and/or numeracy that require attention or remediation.
This year, Homework Club will be available to students in two different locations. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:30, it will be located in OC3 demountable classroom in the top car park.
For students who require a focus on their Mathematics there will be a Maths Homework Club operating in W12 on Monday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-4:30.
There is no cost involved for the students and the boys can attend for some or all of the time.
DISABILITY PROVISIONS FOR EXAMS
Disability Provisions for examinations are co-ordinated through the Learning Enhancement Department. An application can be made for Disability Provisions, both for major assessments, such as end of term tests and internal examinations, and for the Higher School Certificate examinations. If parents consider their son requires a Disability Provision due to illness, learning difficulty or other problem, parents are advised to contact the Head of Individual Learning, Mrs Rebecca Panagopoulos.
Disability Provisions are provided to address the effects of an individual learning need on a student’s performance both in the classroom and under timed conditions. An individual learning need is any difficulty a student has that would, under normal test or examination conditions, prevent him from reading and interpreting questions, and/or from communicating his knowledge and understanding to a marker as effectively as a student without that individual learning need.
STAFF
Learning Enhancement staff include:
Mrs Rebecca Panagopoulos – Head of Learning Enhancement
rpanagopoulos@newington.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Karen Meagher – Learning Enhancement Teacher
kmeagher@newington.nsw.edu.au
Mr Tim Wyatt – Learning Enhancement Teacher
twyatt@newington.nsw.edu.au
Mr Gary Maxwell – Numeracy Support Teacher
gmaxwell@newington.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Sarina Meoli – Teacher’s Aide
smeoli@newington.nsw.edu.au
