Mother of Good Counsel is an inclusive school that recognises that children begin school with differing backgrounds, abilities and motivations. Similarly, children cope with the stresses of academic learning and the school setting in different ways.
As an inclusive community, Mother of Good Counsel School consciously evolves to meet the changing needs of its members. The school community, served by the Diocese of Cairns, embrace inclusion as a means of enhancing the wellbeing of every member of the community. By working together, we strengthen our capacity to provide the foundation for a richer future for us all.
The primary focus of for staff at Mother of Good Counsel is to support student learning in the mainstream classroom curriculum within the classroom environment. Target areas include Early Intervention (P-2), Differentiation and Extension/Enrichment.
Early Intervention
The school recognises the importance of the early learning years. Research indicates the earlier learning difficulties are identified, the more effective intervention strategies are. Preventative and remedial programs are given priority including:
- Prep Screening – vision, hearing, oral language and phonological awareness.
- Whole School Assessment – Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills
- Mathematical concepts, reading comprehension, spelling accruacy and application
- 1:1 and small group support in phonological awareness, mathematical concepts, reading comprehension
- 1:1 and small group support in delivery of speech/language programs, and
- 1:1 and small group support for oral language development of students learning English as a second language.
Differentiation
The Leader of Diversity works closely with class teachers to modify teaching and learning strategies to enable success for students in the classroom. This includes:
- 1:1 support for specific skill development
- targeted programs to meet student needs
- modifications to class programs
- in-class support for students to pursue Highly Individualised Programs and Out of Phase pathways
- 1:1 support for the development of speech and language programs
Extension / Enrichment
Mother of Good Counsel strives to cater for academically able students within the classroom setting. This includes:
- Out of Phase learning pathways
- in-class extension
- cross-class investigations
Access to Support
Students access support after a thorough process of data analysis and collaboration. This incorporates a combination of:
- school based data and standardised assessment
- staff referral to the MoGC Diverse Learners Management Team
- specialist assessments ie. speech/language pathologist, educational psychologist, occupational therapist
- specialist referral
The Leader of Diversity works with classroom teachers and specialist staff to monitor programming and progress of students accessing support. Whilst some children require ongoing support, others access short-term intervention and support.
Specialist and Support Services
For further information on Inclusivity, Specialist and Support Services, click here.
