Education

Most of us want our children to engage well with school, succeed in passing their exams, and go on to do well in life. Unfortunately, sometimes it is not so straightforward. All sorts of things can get in the way, such as:

Anxiety, Depressed mood, Autism, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning disabilities, being deaf or in some other way finding it challenging to be in a classroom, having a physical disability, or an illness that disrupts school attendance. And of course, lots more things!

Fortunately, there are lots of ways to get support, just that often parents do not know what they are, or how to access them. This is by way of a quick guide as to who people are and what they do, and how to access them:

Class Teacher – In a Primary school, your child’s main point of contact and go to person. Usually

dealing with up to 30 children, but should be open to a conversation with you if you

have specific concerns. Teachers are generally always open to reasonable, courteous conversations about any difficulties that your child is experiencing.

In Secondary schools, the main teacher involved with your child may be their home room teacher, or it may be better to meet with the teacher of a specific subject if that is where the problem lies. Year Deans may be a better initial option if it is a social or more generic issue. Access via the school.

Dean – In a secondary school, there is usually a senior teacher who deals with issues within a year group. Access via the school.

Deputy Principal – In most schools, the DP often fields a lot of the issues that arise, and may be a good point of contact if concerns have not been addressed elsewhere. Access via the school.

Principal – Effectively the CEO of a school. Responsible to the School Board for implementation of policy, and smooth running of the school. Access via the school.

School Board – An elected body of parents and sometimes others with specific expertise. Role is to pass policy and procedures, and provide oversight of the Principal.

RTLB Resource Teacher for Learning and Behaviour. Mainly in Primary schools, one RTLB may cover several schools. May be able to implement specific strategies to assist a learning problem, or to address a problematic behaviour. May also have strategies to assist a young person in socialising and making friends. Access via the school.

SENCO Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator. This is the coordinator within the school for

students with special/additional needs. The SENCO will work with students, parents, teachers and is usually the liaison person with external agencies such as ICAMHS, CAPS Hauraki, MOE, RTLB service etc. SENCO is usually also responsible for ORS funded students and will liaise with teacher aides working with students.

LSC Learning Support Coordinator. In Thames the LSCs work across the Kahui Ako (9 schools including Thames High). They also coordinate support for students and work very closely with the SENCOs. Most schools in this region have a LSC working within their Kahui Ako (group) but some larger schools have their own LSC. Paeroa does not at this stage have an LSC service.

Ministry of Education MinEd is responsible for Speech and language therapy for schoolchildren with a speech impediment, and have therapists for this purpose. They also employ Psychologists and advisors who can support a school with behaviour plans, or to address areas where a child is for some reason not able to access learning without some adaptations. Generally accessed via the school, but can be contacted direct if there are serious concerns. They have some really useful information for parents on their website: http://parents.education.govt.nz/

Attendance officer Formerly known as a Truancy officer. Nowadays generally a person employed via an

external organisation, to support children and families where they are having difficulty getting a young person to school. Access varies, depends on the school.

Alt Ed. Alternative Education. Some schools have a slightly separate classroom area where

children who are struggling with mainstream learning can get more focussed learning support with a better teacher student ratio. Other schools have a collective approach and a separate unit. Ask at the school if this may be a good option for your young person.

School Nurse Most secondary schools now have a school nurse, typically employed via an external

agency, but providing support to students around physical and mental health issues, minor injuries, as well as support around sexual health. Access via the school.

Counsellor Most secondary schools employ a counsellor to support their students with any

distress or anxiety that they are experiencing. Some Primary schools now also have access to a counsellor via a funded programme. School counsellors are unlikely to deal with more severe presentations, and will normally refer complex work to suitably trained external providers. Access via the school.

Northern Health School. NHS is a service designed to support young people with a health condition

that prevents school attendance, until they are ready to return to school. NHS require the student to continue to be enrolled with a mainstream school whilst working with them. They provide experienced teachers in a one to one or small group setting. Students are referred to NHS by a medical specialist such as a Paediatrician, Surgeon, Psychiatrist, or Clinical Psychologist. The referral occurs through the provision of a specialist medical certificate. NHS also provides teachers to inpatient units at Waikato and Auckland Hospitals.

Correspondence school Usually referred to as Te Kura, this is the organisation designed to support children who are for some reason simply not able to attend a mainstream school. The young person may need an assessment by a MinEd psychologist before this option is open to them. Discuss with the school as a start point.

Specialist Services ICAMHS (Infant Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service) is a publicly funded health service, based at Thames hospital for this region. Those in Waihi Beach are more likely to fall under Tauranga area ICAMHS, based next to Tauranga Hospital. ICAMHS are tasked with support of young people in the top 2% of severity with mental health issues. In theory they are also responsible for assessment and diagnosis of adolescents with neurodevelopmental issues between the ages of 15 and 18 years, although since 2021 have not had a specialist clinician who covers this.

CDC (Child Development Centre). CDC is a publicly funded health service based at Waikato Hospital. CDC is tasked with the assessment and diagnosis of children with neurodevelopmental issues such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, but also including other issues such as specific learning disorders or Intellectual Disabilities, and sees children under the age of 15 years.

See under Organisations and Services for further information and contact details for ICAMHS and CDC. Assessments and diagnosis may also be provided by some of the specialist clinicians in our Core team, although this is an unfunded service and fees would be charged.

All views expressed in this information sheet are those of the author, however based on broad research and clinical experience. Any feedback may be directed to the author: Steve Williams, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Director: C&A Hub.