What East Ayrshire Support Team does

East Ayrshire Support Team (EAST) works collaboratively with education groups and establishments to contribute to the provision of effective support for children and young people (aged 3-18 years) with additional support needs to help them achieve their individual targets and reach their full potential. EAST supports the development and implementation of whole school approaches that support effective teaching and learning and offers specialist support where this is required.

The team contributes to East Ayrshire’s support policies and procedures, develops new materials and approaches as well as supporting the implementation of relevant support strategies, interventions and initiatives including:

• All about me and more about me
• Change and loss incorporating seasons for growth
• Closing the literacy gap (CLG) (Primary 2)
• Closing the literacy gap (CLG) (Transition)
• Early level literacy assessment tool (ELLAT) Follow-up (Primary 1)
• Five Minute Box and Number Box
• Highly able learners
• Jump into movement
• Massage in Schools Programme (MISP)
• Outdoor learning
• Quest follow-up support (Primary 3)
• Restorative approaches
• Speech and language support
• Star emotions
• Talk Boost
• Working memory

EAST also supports and oversees the East Ayrshire Inclusive Practice (DFS) Accreditation Pathway.

Learning teacher roles

Consultancy and consultation

• Provides advisory support and guidance on effective approaches and resources to meet the needs of learners with additional support needs (ASN)
• Contributes to Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings and supports child’s plans

Planning and teaching/co-operative teaching

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to supports for learners with additional support needs
• Delivers targeted support with an agreed focus to identified individuals/small groups through extraction or within a co-operative setting

Identification and assessment

EAST supports the authority assessment procedures.

Supporting professional learning

EAST staff remain abreast of national and international best practice in relation to ASN. They undertake development work (PDF 525Kb) to build capacity across East educational establishments and support professional learning through:

• development of support packs and materials to provide  guidance  and  practical  strategies  for colleagues
• supporting career-long professional learning (CLPL) on ASN for colleagues

Download the current East Ayrshire Support Team Professional Development Sessions Calendar (PDF 945Kb)

Partnership working

EAST staff work in partnership with colleagues in education and other sectors, for example Health.  Examples of partnership working include:

• a targeted speech and language programme developed  by  EAST  working  in  partnership with Speech and Language Therapists (NHS) 
• Visual stress assessments developed by EAST working in partnership with the VAROC Clinic. The model is being rolled out across North and South Ayrshire
• Representatives from EAST sit on the national Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit working group

How support is accessed

EAST provides an annual core allocation to each primary establishment in the authority to help support their provision for learners with ASN.

Flexible supports

EAST also delivers a range of flexible supports and these are delivered on a needs-led basis.

Improvement plan

Download the East Ayrshire Support Team's current Improvement Plan (PDF 583Kb)

Standards and qualities

Download the East Ayrshire Support Team's Standard and Qualities report (PDF 894K)