Learning support in basic education

General support is the first form of support for responding to a pupil's need for support. This type of support is arranged while systematically monitoring the pupil’s progress in their own group during regular work plan lessons or outside them. The support is planned and arranged in cooperation with the pupil, guardian(s), teacher(s), and other personnel if required.

Teaching employs versatile teaching methods, materials, and learning environments, and teaching is differentiated. If so required, the pupil receives remedial teaching, part-time special needs teaching, or support from pupil welfare. As part of general support, a learning plan may be created for the pupil. Such a plan should be created whenever the support a pupil needs is very regular and targeted. The general support learning plan is utilised when evaluating the need for enhanced support and in creating pedagogical assessments.

Lesson structure is a form of general support. Every student is entitled to good general support. This video shows some examples of what structuring means in Vantaa’s schools. Structure belongs in every class! 

Take a closer look at what structure means in a video:

If a pupil seems to need support that is broader and more long-term than usual, their support is enhanced. To provide enhanced support, a learning plan that describes, among other things, the needed support and how it will be arranged is created for the pupil.

Pupils who cannot achieve the set aims for growth, development, or learning with other forms of support are given special support. Special support is always systematic, and it takes into account the pupil’s overall situation. An IEP (individual educational plan) that describes the provided support is created for the pupil. The pupil’s IEP is reviewed twice per school year.

Taking into account the pupil’s best interests and the available facilities, special support can be provided: 

• at the pupil’s local school in connection with other teaching 

• partly or wholly as small-group teaching at the pupil’s local school, or 

• as small-group teaching at the city/municipality level 

A teaching group that is suitable for the pupil is planned together with the school, pupil, guardian(s), and possible cooperative parties. 

When a child needs extra help in their studies, they are offered remedial teaching. We aim to begin remedial teaching proactively before any major obstacles to learning and studying start developing.

Remedial teaching is given either during lessons or outside them. When required, remedial teaching can also be given in the child’s own native language.

Part-time special needs teaching improves a child’s chances of learning and prevents the escalation of problems in various areas of learning. This type of special needs teaching is given when a child has, for example, difficulties related to linguistic or mathematical skills, learning disabilities in individual subjects, or problems with studying skills, social skills, or school attendance.

Part-time special needs teaching is provided as co-teaching, in a smaller group, or sometimes as individual teaching. The aims and contents of part-time special needs teaching are adjusted to the child’s other teaching.

Flexible grouping can be used to support the child. Using divided groups/lessons and slot-based lesson placement enables studying in smaller groups. Slot-based lessons mean that the lessons of the same subject are taught in the same time slot for every group in the same grade.

Take a closer look at what flexible grouping means in a video:

Streaming or differentiation means arranging teaching so that the different pupils have different, individual aims and tasks.  Streaming is an educational means of taking into account the needs of the study group and the differences between children. Streaming can be applied to, among others: 

• teaching content(s) 

• used teaching methods and materials 

• working methods 

• amount of school- and homework and the time allocated for this 

Streaming is part of general support and does not mean the same as syllabus personalisation. 

Take a closer look at what streaming means in a video:

Problems with different subjects can be prevented and learning can be supported by using various means of streaming and other forms of support as defined in the Basic Education Act.

If a pupil is given special focus areas in a subject, they can concentrate on studying the essential contents of this subject. In these cases, the pupil studies the subject according to the general objectives, and their performance is assessed in the context of the general syllabus.

The syllabus for a pupil taking part in special needs teaching can be personalised. Personalising the syllabus entails defining the pupil's target level so that is matches the pupil’s abilities.

The subjects in which the pupil’s syllabus deviates from the school’s normal syllabus are defined in the individual educational plan (IEP).

A learning plan is an analysis, created in cooperation with the teacher, child, and guardian(s), of the child’s need for support and a plan of the support forms and their implementation. If a child has a learning plan, you can find it in Wilma.

The IEP is a plan regarding individual education that includes the set goals and forms of support for the child. If a child has an IEP, you can find it in Wilma.

Starting enhanced support is based on a pedagogical assessment.

If a pupil needs support that is broader, more long-term, and more systematic, their measures of support are enhanced. Starting enhanced support is based on a pedagogical assessment made by the pupil’s teacher(s) that describes the overall situation of the pupil’s learning and school attendance from the perspectives of the school, pupil, and guardian(s). 

The option of moving on to enhanced support is handled based on the pedagogical assessment and in multiprofessional cooperation with the professional pupil welfare personnel. The same procedure applies to moving back to general support from enhanced support. Cooperation with the pupil and guardian(s) is important both in terms of investigating the needs and planning and successful implementation of the support.

A pedagogical assessment describes: 

• overall situation of the pupil’s learning and school attendance from the perspectives of the school, pupil, and guardian(s) 

• general support received by the pupil and an assessment of the effects of the various forms of support 

• pupil’s strengths and areas of interest, openness to learning, and special needs related to learning and school attendance 

• an assessment of what kinds of pedagogical, learning environment -related, guiding, pupil welfare, or other supportive arrangements can be used to support the pupil 

• an assessment of the need for enhanced support 

A special support decision presupposes a pedagogical report that presents the enhanced support that the pupil has received, along with a plan of what kinds of pedagogical, learning environment -related, pupil welfare, or other supportive arrangements should be used to support the pupil.

The pedagogical report is produced by the pupil’s teacher(s) in collaboration with the special needs teacher. The report is handled multiprofessionally with the required professional pupil welfare personnel. When required, the pedagogical report is amended with a psychological or medical expert’s statement or comparable social report.

The decision for special support is made by the regional manager for basic education and it is based on the pedagogical report.

The decision for special support is reviewed during the 2nd and 6th grades, and whenever there are essential changes to the need for support or other aspects. In case special support is no longer deemed necessary, an office-holder’s decision is made to end the support. This decision is based on the pedagogical report processed in the multiprofessional group and on hearing the pupil and guardian(s). In these cases, the pupil moves on to enhanced support.

An IEP (individual educational plan) is created for the pupil within two months of making the decision of special support. Later, the pupil’s IEP is created at the beginning of each school year and reviewed at least once during the year. The pupil’s teachers create the plan in collaboration with the pupil, guardian(s), and other experts if needed. The plan utilises the pedagogical report and the contents of the special support decision. Expert’s statements are utilised to the extent in which it is deemed pedagogically appropriate for the pupil’s learning and school attendance.