The Learning Support Centre at Ysgol Penglais School (known as LSC) is a designated, special provision for students with moderate to severe learning difficulties. It is staffed by specialist teachers, and a senior teaching assistant and a team of teaching assistants. Students have a range of needs which may include Autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy and speech and language difficulties. The staff in the LSC are supported in designing physiotherapy and speech therapy programmes by external specialists.
All students are allocated to a registration group with their peers and attend mainstream lessons for some, or all, of the curriculum. All students in the LSC are likely to need highly differentiated tasks and approaches and the LSC staff are well equipped to give support and advice to mainstream teachers if required. Subject areas that are not accessed in mainstream will be taught in LSC at an appropriate level. Provision is therefore flexible and tailored to the students needs. For those students who need it, supervision is given during break and lunch times.
Students work on individual programmes in maths and literacy which are based on an assessment of their current levels of attainment. There is an emphasis on communication skills and appropriate social skills throughout the day in LSC. Students in key stages 4 and 5 will follow an individual programme depending on their interest and ability and all will be offered a nationally recognised and accredited course through ASDAN. There is an emphasis on developing life skills and independence where appropriate and we offer some ‘in house’ work experience where possible.