THE IDEAS OF THE NIKOLAUS - LENAU - SCHULE AND THE SPZ GMUNDEN

The Nikolaus Lenau-Schule offers the following: 
- four primary integration co educational classes with two teachers and one school assistant and an average of twentytwo pupils. 
- Three special classes for pupils with learning difficulties.There are not more than twelve pupils and two teachers within  each classroom. 
- Four S-classes (Severely handicapped - mentally and physically) for more than thirty  handicapped pupils. In each class there are two teachers and one assistant. 
- One special learning group with one teacher and six pupils of different ages with a variety of problems. 
 

Additional offers from the school: 
-     studios on wednesday for three lessons
(coed groups for different activities: sports, handwork, Computer-work, expeditions , music or experiments…) 
-     Counter education 
-     Celebrations and parties and other activities (including the S-groups). 
-     Integration classes and S-classes spend time together. 
-     Classes always open to teachers and parents.

SPZ 
The area of its operation is the northerly district of Gmunden. It is 40km long and 30km wide. 
The tasks of SPZ are: 
- Promotion and preparation of integration at all primary schools and secondary modern schools in the area. 
- Make diagnosis of educational special help for pupils with learning difficulties or behaviourly disturbed. 
- Advice for parents 
- Advice for teachers 
- Meetings 
- Cooperation with other institutions 
- Training courses for teachers

Additional provisions of the SPZ are: 
- additional measures and therapies for pupils with handicaps or learning difficulties in Integration-classes (I-classes) 
- Temporary educational care for pupils with behaviour difficulties. 
- Further training for integration-teachers. 
- Workshops to make teaching aids for pupils with learning difficulties. 
- Discussions for schools in our district about special education. 
- Discussions  for parents. 
- Cooperation with social services

To do good work, the SPZ-team has a meeting every month to speak about their work. 
The SPZ-team consists of these persons: 
- One head–teacher 
(for organisation, further training and expert-reports) 
- One teacher for handicapped pupils 
(looks after handicapped pupils and makes diagnoses for all classes in the district with handicapped pupils.) 
- One teacher for pupils with learning difficulties 
(looks after pupils with learning difficulties and makes diagnoses for all classes in the district for pupils with learning difficulties.) 
- One teacher of an integration primary class 
(looks after integration classes and makes diagnoses for them.) 
- Three teachers who look after pupils with behaviour difficulties. 
- One teacher in furtherance of pupil in the primary class with exceptionally handicap
- One school-psychologist 
- Sometimes one representative from the jobcentre or the “protector of young people”. 
 

Autonomy and flexibility 
Autonomy is not an empty talk of the Landesschulrat of Oberösterreich. 
The leader of SPZ was involved from the first time into the development and had a say. 
The development in the district is arranging by the whole team. 
The reason is last but not least, that the president of education in Oberösterreich, put his trust in the people who work in the SPZ. 
The basis of the cooperation is frankness. 
The financially and personal funds are dependent on the number of the whole pupil in the district. 
For that reasons the measures are act on the SPZ own authority and own need. 
 

Integration 
Integration education in the Opinion of the SPZ-team needs good conditions (class-composition, team-teaching) and professional discussion and support from the SPZ. 
SPZ develop into the key element of (special) education in the district. 
Teacher and also parents use this institution. 
On building SPZ and development this, the special education in this district gets a high status. 
The SPZ let the parents choose between S-classes or small classes and the decision is revisable.

The main focus of SPZ is the professional advice and support of parents and teacher for excellently conditions for the pupil.