May 6, 2024, The Post: Learning support hub to make a difference for students
Three education support services for students with behavioural issues, hearing and vision impairments have been brought together in a hub they say will improve their ability to help.
The new hub in the grounds of Salisbury School in Richmond was blessed in a dawn ceremony on Monday by members of Rangitāne iwi.
The Ministry of Education project used two relocatable classrooms, originally deployed in Christchurch after the 2011 earthquake, and lately at neighbouring Waimea College. A linking central section has been added to create a large, purpose-built facility for the three groups.
The hub will house 23 staff from Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), five from Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand and four from the Blind Low Vision Network New Zealand (Blennz). It is believed to be only the second cluster of its type in the country.
RTLB teachers support Year 0-10 students with learning and behaviour difficulties, such as neurodiverse students and those with autism-related disorders. . . .
The groups had worked from old, former hostel buildings in the Salisbury grounds that were small and not fit for purpose.
Groups of RTLB teachers had also previously been based at various schools, and had been looking for a base for more than 10 years.
Cluster manager for Nelson Bays RTLB Lynette Evans said bringing the staff from the three services together under one roof would add significant value for them, and the students and families they supported.
Pip Wells, principal of Nelson Central School that hosts the RTLB service in Nelson Bays, said the new hub was an exciting opportunity for the three organisations to collaborate.
She said there was massive and increasing demand for specialist staff to support teachers and students. Some students needed support from several services so having them working together would be “hugely valuable”. . . .
