Hyppää sisältöön

Support for learning

Every pupil has the right to receive support for their learning and schooling.

The school’s operational culture is based on looking after the well-being, safety, and learning of the pupils. Teaching arrangements that support learning strengthen the pupils’ well-being and promote their learning. They create a foundation for taking the individual needs of pupils into account as part of everyday school life and instruction.

Support is implemented, among other things, through the pedagogical solutions of teachers and the practical arrangements of teaching. These help to support learning, strengthen inclusion, and enable smooth and flexible schooling.

Teaching arrangements that support the prerequisites for learning include, for example:

  • jointly agreed practices
  • differentiation of instruction, structuring, language awareness, and flexible working methods
  • forming teaching groups to support learning
  • utilising school assistants to support pupils
  • cooperation between teachers and the strengthening of expertise

Group-specific forms of support

A pupil always has a primary right to group-specific forms of support, which are planned for all schools as part of the school year’s activities. Assessing support needs and providing the necessary support is part of a teacher’s work and applies to all teaching situations. In Hämeenlinna, a pupil’s instruction and support for learning support are primarily implemented according to the principle of inclusion in the pupil’s own classroom at their local school. Group-specific forms of support include general remedial teaching, remedial teaching in the language of instruction, and instruction provided by a special educational needs teacher in connection with other teaching.

General remedial teaching can be provided during or outside of lessons.

General remedial teaching can involve, for example, revising things already studied or introducing new topics, and it can address short-term support needs caused by, for instance, absence due to illness.

Remedial teaching in the language of instruction can be provided to all pupils whose mother tongue is other than Finnish or who have other challenges in understanding or producing the language.

Remedial teaching in the language of instruction can mean, for example, going through the most important parts of a text together with the pupil, using plain language materials, practising the vocabulary of the language of instruction, or strengthening learning skills so that the pupil understands the instruction better and can progress in their studies.

Instruction provided by a special educational needs teacher in the classroom is flexible additional support that is shaped according to the needs of the group and complements other teaching.

Instruction provided by a special educational needs teacher can involve, for example, additional practice in a specific subject, strengthening learning and study skills, or supporting social skills. The aim is to help pupils identify their own learning challenges and strengthen their learning readiness so that learning progresses and everyday schooling runs more smoothly.

Pupil-specific support measures

Pupil-specific support refers to individual, regular, and longer-term support planned for a pupil, which is introduced when group-specific forms of support and teaching arrangements supporting the prerequisites for learning have not been sufficient. Pupil-specific support measures also include interpretation and assistant services, as well as assistive devices. Support measures are planned according to the pupil’s individual needs together with guardians, the pupil, and teachers, and their goal is to ensure the pupil’s progress in their studies. A pupil-specific support plan and an administrative decision are made regarding pupil-specific support measures.

The pupil receives regular instruction from a special educational needs teacher for less than half of the lessons in a particular subject.

The pupil receives regular instruction from a special educational needs teacher or a special educational needs class teacher in a small group for more than half or all of the lessons in a subject.

The pupil receives regular instruction from a special educational needs class teacher in a special class. Integration hours into a general education group are planned individually in the best interest of the pupil.

A pupil has the right to receive interpretation and assistant services as pupil-specific support, as well as assistive devices essential for learning. The provision of support is based on the pupil’s individual needs, and the goal is to ensure learning, schooling, and progress in studies.
Interpretation services can be arranged for pupils whose hearing, visual, or speech impairment makes it difficult to participate in instruction and interaction during the school day.
Assistant services refer to support provided by a school assistant in situations where group-specific support arrangements and other pupil-specific support measures are not sufficient to meet the pupil’s needs.
Assistive devices can be used either to support the entire teaching group or arranged for an individual pupil according to their needs. Assistive devices used to support learning do not include those granted on the basis of medical rehabilitation.

Contact information

Perusopetuksen palveluohjaus ja neuvonta
Telephone
03 621 4145
Email
perusopetus@hameenlinna.fi

Anna Kesäjärvi-Lehtinen

Senior Education Specialist
Telephone
050 4711 981
Email
anna.kesajarvi-lehtinen@hameenlinna.fi
Opetuksen hallinto

Taru Kuparinen

Education Manager
Telephone
040 5115 843
Email
taru.kuparinen@hameenlinna.fi
Opetuksen hallinto
Last updated 14.10.2026