How do you get a teacher aide?
Teacher aide funding is allocated to some students receiving support through:
- The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS)
- The School High Health Needs Fund
- Te Kahu Tōī Intensive Wraparound Service (IWS)
- In-Class Support
- Learning Support Services (Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB); Ministry of Education Learning Support Services; Early Intervention, Behaviour, and Communication services)
- School based funding, special education grant
- Government agencies such as ACC and Oranga Tamariki.
If a child gets support from any of these services, the Ministry of Education should work with their parents and the school tounderstand what’s needed to help that child learn and be included. This involves working together on a plan for a range of environments and using a range of solutions. This might include school modifications, teacher “release” and support, additional teaching time for your child, learning resources, assistive technology, further specialist help or teacher aide support.
Unfortunately, your child isn’t guaranteed funding for a teacher aide. Funding is allocated according to the “identified support needs of the student” and based on a “collaborative process between school, family and Ministry of Education staff.”
However, many parents feel this isn’t the case, and find it can be a long and hard journey to get funding.
As a starting point, here are three things you can do:
- Speak to the school’s Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or Learning Support Coordinator about your child’s needs. They’ll work with you and your child’s teacher to develop a learning plan.
- Focus on changes that might help in your child’s learning environment – basically, what helps your child at home will probably help at school.
- Think about how you help your child interact – what they like, their interests, what makes them feel calm and safe, what helps them communicate. Their teacher needs to know these things too, so they need to be included in the learning plan.
When should I apply?
If your child is already in school, you can apply at any time.
If your child isn’t at school yet, and your child has high needs, it’s best to apply three to four months before they start school.
For more information
Click here to read our article about applying for ORS funding (the article also has information about High Health Needs funding).
