Te Rourou Whai Hua

LSC Role

In your role as an LSC you will help to identify, understand, and plan for the needs of ākonga who may require extra support for their learning in your local community. 

 Part of your role may be to:

• Coordinate services and support, ensuring that there are robust, carefully monitored, and appropriately resourced plans in place for learners who need extra support.

• Enable timely support, through strong partnerships with kaiako and whānau to facilitate shared understanding and prompt planning. 

• Be a key contact for whānau of ākonga with learning support needs, helping them to partner successfully with their school. 

• Support and promote inclusive values and practices at classroom, school or kura, and cluster-wide levels. 

• Work with leaders to design and implement systems and processes that help all ākonga learn, make progress, and transition successfully between settings - including from early learning. 

• Collaborate with the Ministry of Education, resource teachers and other providers to access services and resources, aiming for a seamless approach to providing learning support across your cluster.

Watch this video as two LSC discuss their role in supporting the learning and wellbeing of ākonga in their education community.

Integrated Support Model

This integrated, support model is an evidence-based approach that provides a framework for planning supports which increase in intensity, depending on the needs of ākonga and the learning context.  Planning effectively within this model, teams will make connections and links between the tiers rather than seeing them as separate unrelated. 

Support starts at a whole-school/cluster level. Universal (Tier 1) practices and systems are designed to meet the needs of all ākonga, whānau and educators, implemented across all settings. The model recognises that to impact positively on presence, participation, learning and wellbeing of ākonga, high quality, culturally-responsive educational experiences are needed, and for most ākonga this will be enough.

In some instances, additional, more focussed and targeted (Tier 2) supports will be needed for ākonga to progress. These supports could be around a context, a part of the curriculum, a group of ākonga, educators and/or whānau.

Even with good instruction and targeted supports, some individual ākonga may need more support. These ākonga are likely to need more specialised and individualised (Tier 3) planning and supports to maximise learning and wellbeing.

For more information on designing and implementing supports through an integrated Tiered Support Model watch this clip from the LSC forums 2021.

Learning Support Delivery Model

As an LSC you will work within the Learning Support Delivery Model (LSDM). The LSDM strengthens how learning support is provided to all ākonga . It brings together local early learning services, kōhanga reo, schools and kura to identify local needs and resources, and work with the Ministry of Education, specialist resource teachers, other agencies and providers to plan support based on what they know works for ākonga and whānau in their community.

This video explains how learning support weaves together the range of practices, systems, supports, and services that enable ākonga to experience success in their learning and relationships.

Reflective Questions:

• Who are the people in my region I connect with around learning support?

• How are we working together to identify needs and make learning support decisions?

• How are we strengthening supports across our cluster as well as within learning settings?

• What do whānau, ākonga and kaiako notice when supports are well established?

• What might I do next to find out about the learning support networks in my region?

Key documents and resources that guide and support your work in education

National Curricular

The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa set the direction for student learning and provide guidance for schools as they design and review their curriculum.

Te Whāriki is the national curriculum document for early childhood education (ECE), to be used with all children from birth to school entry. It sets out a framework of principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes that each setting will use as the basis for a 'local' curriculum.

Strategies and Action Plans

NELP is the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP). This is a statutory document issued under the Education and Training Act 2020 that direct government and education sector activities towards the actions that will make the biggest difference. It sets out the Government’s priorities for education that will ensure the success and wellbeing of all ākonga. One of these is barrier free access. LSCs work with teams to address barriers to education for those ākonga who may require extra support for their learning.

Ka Hikitia sets out how The Ministry of Education will work with education services to achieve system shifts in education and support Māori learners and their whānau, hapū and iwi to achieve excellent and equitable outcomes and provides an organising framework for the actions we will take.

The Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020–2030 has a vision that diverse Pacific learners and their families feel safe, valued and equipped to achieve their education aspirations.

The Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy puts children and young people at the centre, and will transform the way Ministers and agencies work together to improve the wellbeing of children and young people. It seeks to remove barriers to wellbeing and support collaboration across all settings.

The Learning Support Action Plan 2019 -2025 sets out priority actions that will make the most difference, to ensure that children and young people get the right support, at the right time.

The Learning Support Delivery Model (LSDM) supports groups who work collaboratively to respond to the needs of a whole population of children and young people.

Supporting Resources

Tātaiako is about teachers’ relationships and engagement with Māori learners, their whānau and iwi. It supports kaiako work in early learning, primary and secondary education to personalise learning for, and with, Māori learners, to ensure they enjoy educational success as Māori.

The Tapasā framework brings Pacific perspectives to effective and quality teaching practice at different stages of a teacher’s journey in key areas and transition points for Pacific learners in early learning, primary and secondary education. The Tapasā website provides resources, tools, and support for teachers of Pacific learners.

Kauwhata Reo is a central hub for te reo Māori teaching and learning resources.

The Inclusive Education website has practical guidance for Aotearoa teachers and educational leaders to recognise, plan for, and meet the learning and wellbeing needs of diverse learners.

Learning Support Coordinator: A Guide to the role clarifies the key responsibilities and relationships that shape the LSC role and provides links to information, resources and services that will give guidance to LSCs and the wider learning support communities.

Teaching Council

The Teaching Council Matatū Aotearoa worked with the Ministry of Education and a group of Learning Support Coordinators to understand how kaiako working in a LSC role can maintain a Tūturu Full (Category One) practising certificate. LSC need to be able to use and meet the Standards for the Teaching Profession or Ngā Paerewa mō te Umanga Whakaakoranga (in English and Māori medium contexts respectively).

Read more about this on the Teaching Council website.

Christine Thornley from the Teaching Council and Wendy Boen-Holley from Massey University this following webinar to share useful information about supporting LSC to renew their practising certificates.

Download PPT from the webinar.

Download the Learning Support Coordinator matrix.