Loading
*In line with the ADEK Inclusion Policy. Doc No: ANPS/ACD/POLICY/004 — Date: Sep 01, 2024 — Rev.: 00*
| Department | Led by | Date | Checked & Signed by VP | Next Review Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KG | Ms. Elizma | |||
| Elementary | Mr. Ailbe | |||
| Middle & Secondary | Mr. Mohieddin | |||
| Inclusion | Ms. Estelle | |||
| Arabic & MOE | Ms. Ahlam | |||
| Other: |
"All students can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way." — George Evans.
ANPS is committed to Inclusion. We believe that educational inclusion is about equal opportunities for all learners, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, or individual needs.
To ensure that all students can interact and develop interdependent relationships, so that, as adults, they can successfully participate in a society that values full community involvement and contribution.
Celebrate the individuality of every student and provide a supportive and inclusive educational environment wherein all learners have equal opportunities in accessing the curriculum. As such, this policy reflects the needs of both able and less able learning in accordance with ADEK guidelines. The schools will develop practices and strategies to ensure that they comply with Federal Law No 29 of 2006. Article 12 (Rights of People with Special needs) "In no case shall the special needs be an excuse for disallowing any individual to join, enroll or be accepted at any government or private educational institution." All staff are to implement Inclusion practices as core values of ANPS. We pay attention to the provision for and achievement of particular groups of learners including:
At ANPS the emphasis is on a whole school approach. All staff accept responsibility for providing all children with realistic learning goals in a broad-based, appropriate curriculum. We believe in nurturing and developing the educational, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual aspects by curriculum design and teaching approaches. The National Curriculum Council stated that participation in the National Curriculum by pupils with special educational needs or those who are working below the level of the National Curriculum is most likely to be achieved by encouraging good practice for all pupils and that the majority of pupils with learning difficulties simply require work to be suitably presented and differentiated to match their needs.
The Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) have delegated the responsibility for the on-going implementation of the Inclusion policies to the Head of Inclusion. The Head of Inclusion is responsible for reporting regularly to the Principals and SLT members with responsibility for SEN and GT on the continued effectiveness of the below policies. ANPS is committed to ensuring that the necessary provision is made for every pupil that has special educational needs.
For the purposes of this policy, Special Educational Needs (SEN) is the generic term for any disability, disorder, difficulty, impairment, exceptional needs (rare cases) or other additional needs that may be caused by mental, behavioral, physical, emotional, or cognitive factors and which may affect a student's learning and his/her educational performance. These students receive additional educational support beyond that provided in general classrooms in order to achieve the greatest benefit from the curriculum.
Children will have needs and requirements which may fall into at least one of four areas, many children will have inter-related needs. The areas of need are:
A child has special educational needs if he/she has:
A child is considered to be working below the level of the National Curriculum if he/she is struggling to work at the same level and on the same objectives of his/her peers in class.
Whether or not a child is considered to have special educational needs (SEN) will depend on both the individual and the local context. It is entirely possible for a child to be identified as having SEN in one school but not in another, depending on the resources, teaching approaches, and support available. *(Excellence for All Children, DfEE, October 1997)*
It is very important to identify, assess, and support any child with special educational needs as early as possible. The sooner support is given, the more likely the child will respond well, and the easier it is to support them without disrupting their learning or the school's routine. If the difficulty is only temporary, the child can go on to learn and make progress like their peers. If the difficulty continues, starting early means the school can plan and provide the extra support the child needs to succeed.
ANPS follows a Graduated Response to identifying and supporting students with additional needs that includes regular observing, assessing and recording of the progress of all learners to identify which learners are not progressing satisfactorily and who may have additional needs.
Commonly referred to as 'Response to Intervention' or 'RTI' this model has its foundation in general education (Tier 1) and focuses on evidence-based classroom instructional practices. The second Tier involves targeted, short term practices whilst Tier 3 involves Intensive specialized instruction. Tier 2 and 3 are in addition to educational provisions made for all students.
Tier 3 is typified by students who require extensive support either at school or by another provider (whose fees are to be covered by the parent). The outcomes of tier 3 testing and assessment will inform the outcomes and actions that need to be taken by school.
The school may call upon specialist support after a tier 2 review or where following discussions between Head of Inclusion, teachers and parents, it is decided that early intensive action is necessary. The Head of Inclusion plays a leading role, working closely with teachers and parents and external providers. There will be a new IEP including strategies for supporting progress and monitoring and review arrangements.
Where progress is not adequate, it will be necessary to take some additional or different action to enable the pupils to learn more effectively. Whatever the level of pupils' difficulties, the key test of how far their learning needs are being met is whether they are making adequate progress.
Adequate progress can be defined in a number of ways i.e.:
If a child's progress is inadequate the class teacher will provide interventions that are additional to or different from those provided as part of the usual differentiated curriculum offer and strategies. This is known as School Action.
The triggers for intervention could be the teacher's or others' concern, underpinned by evidence, about a child who despite receiving differentiated learning opportunities:
Following a meeting to review a child's IEP/IPLP and in consultation with parents a decision may be taken to request help from external support services.
The triggers for ESS could be that, despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support under School Action, the child:
The above is a graduated response of action and intervention when a child is identified as having special educational needs, but must not be regarded as steps on the way to external assessment, as some children will require less rather than more help if the interventions work successfully. The interventions are a means of matching special educational provision to the child's needs, and are therefore part of the continuous and systematic cycle of planning, action and review within our school to enable all children to learn and progress. Advice and support may be requested from external services when needed.
A child will be brought to an outside agency's attention as possibly requiring an assessment through:
ANPS currently has growing links with a number of external support services including Speech and Language Therapy, Child Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy (Little Smarties Development Centre).
Early identification is very important as the earlier action is taken the more responsive the child is likely to be. In KG, if a child is not making adequate progress, as defined below:
Then interventions will be made. If the intervention does not enable the child to make satisfactory progress then advice and support will be sought from external agencies.
An IEP/IPLP should be used to plan interventions for individual pupils. It is the structured planning documentation of the differentiated steps and teaching requirements needed to help the student achieve identified targets. An IEP/IPLP should focus on up to three or four key individual targets and should include information about:
When pupils in the same group, class or subject lesson have common targets and hence, common strategies a group learning plan can be drawn up rather than producing IEPs for each child.
Ideally IEPs should be continually kept under review. However the success of all IEPs will be evaluated three times a year (November, February, May) by the SENCO, teachers and supervisor of the student.
The records kept in school are appropriate for all children. It is important that records for all children are accurate, yet as positive as possible. This is particularly important for children with special needs.
This is kept by the class teacher/supervisor (in upper school) and highlights children who need additional support/help over and above what the class teacher would normally be doing in meeting the needs within her class. It contains Individual Educational Plans and any other relevant information on individual children. A section within the file also contains relevant articles and information about specific SEN topics and Professional Development notes. If a teacher is absent, this information should be offered to the covering teacher. During the year children's needs change. They may cease to need support, and so an appropriate comment can be added.
Some teachers may keep anecdotal records, which are part of their continuous assessment.
Most of these records are part of continuous assessment. Records should always provide precise positive information about what a child can do, and about what steps are being taken to help him make progress. They should be passed on at the end of the academic year. Information is vital for the teacher to decide what is the next step forward and of great importance when a child is referred to an outside agency.
Ms. Reem Mahmoud, the social worker, is responsible for Child Protection issues. All confidential paperwork is kept in his office.
Pupil information is updated as and when it comes to school. Any major changes are passed on to the teacher straight away. Updated class medical information is passed on to the teacher every term and kept in the class SEN file. However, a medical diagnosis or a disability does not necessarily imply SEN. It is the child's educational needs rather than a medical diagnosis that must be considered. However, medical conditions may have a significant impact on a child's experiences and the way they function in school and if not properly managed could hinder their access to education. Therefore, consultation and open discussion between the child's parents, the school, the school doctor or the child's doctor and any specialist services providing treatment for the child will be essential to ensure that the child makes maximum progress.
The agreed role of the Learning Support Team is to support the work of teachers by offering specific and general support to children who are experiencing learning difficulties in either the long or short term. The Support team will coordinate the writing of Individual Education Plans and all contributions of those involved. They will regularly test and set new targets (long and short term) when appropriate and work with the named children within the class, a group or 1-1 as appropriate. The team will plan reviews two to three times a year with the parents, child and teacher.
The objectives are: To help children cope with broad-based curriculum and to make progress through the National Curriculum by:
a) Testing, assessing and reviewing the needs of the individual child at least twice a year and the writing of the IEP b) Setting achievable targets in a 'small steps' approach c) Working in partnership with child, parent, staff and any relevant outside agency d) Giving access to appropriate resources and encouraging independent use e) Giving support in the classroom with a variety of tasks where appropriate f) Providing additional encouragement and praise to promote self-esteem, motivation and concentration g) Monitoring children eg. those who wear spectacles, or who have short term needs h) By using a system of awards (praise, stickers, certificates, special mentions, noting achievements, etc) i) Offering counseling when needed.
The school has a lift/elevator for wheelchair access to the upper levels, plus ramps for ease of access.
We will continue to develop staff expertise by making full use of courses provided by ADEK, National conferences and other agencies or training drawing on staff specialisation. The needs are identified by the individual, the Learning Support department and through the School Development Plan. The School's Performance Management system will assist in highlighting training needs.
"Parents hold key information and have a critical role to play in their children's education. They have unique strengths, knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child's needs and the best ways of supporting them." (Special Educational Needs Code of Practice January 2002 p.16)
We actively encourage all of our parents to support their child through positive attitudes, giving user-friendly information and effective communication. However all staff should be aware of the pressures a parent may be under because of the child's needs.
To make communications effective professionals should:
We aim to inform parents as soon as a child is "flagged" as a cause for concern, so that they are fully involved in the school based response for their child, understand the purpose of any intervention or programme of action, and be told about the parent partnership service. Learning Support Coordinator/Head of School to talk both informally/formally to parents in school, may write, telephone or home visit if appropriate.
Parents also have a responsibility to communicate effectively with professionals to support their children's education. They should:
We will ensure that parents are fully involved in any discussions leading up to a school's decision.
We will continue to work towards positive pupil involvement in decision-making related to their development. Most children have their own views on how they see their special needs which may give insight into the problems experienced by both pupils and teachers. From an early age, children with SEN should be actively involved at an appropriate level in discussions about their IEP's, including target setting and review arrangements and have their views recorded. Children, particularly older pupils, should be encouraged to share in the recording process and in monitoring and evaluating their own performance so that every achievement is given a sense of worth, developing confidence and self esteem. As all children are working towards setting achievable targets for themselves within the class then this can only be viewed as a natural extension.
Parents/carers are asked to speak to the teacher, Learning Support Department or the Head of School in the first instance.
ICT is a very useful tool for all children, but can be an invaluable resource for a child with learning difficulties. Once again, peer group or independent use is encouraged.
Evaluation of the success of this policy requires evidence of:
Before assuming that a student needs to be assessed for a learning "difficulty", it is important to consider if there are any other issues that may be hindering learning or causing students to exhibit challenging behaviours.
After the initial investigation has occurred and all social issues and medical issues have been considered and eliminated, the three-step SEN system must be implemented. The SEN system helps the SEN team to identify the issue and to seek to discover the cause of the student's issue.
Requirements for the teacher — The Step-by-Step Process:
Pupils are identified through various means - teacher referral and observations and including standardised summative assessment and teacher assessment. Effective inclusion of all children in daily, differentiated, high quality lessons. Led by teachers, advised by the Learning Support Team. If the student is not identified by the Learning Support Department as having a Special Educational Need then the student will be monitored by both the teacher and the LS department, but will be allowed to continue without further actions being taken.
If the student is not making the required progress, the LS will be notified.
If the student is identified as having a SEN: If sufficient progress is not being made and there are still serious concerns over a pupils progress, Diagnostic assessment may be necessary.
ANPS is strongly committed to inclusive education across all year groups; this provision includes one in which the teaching, learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of all our pupils – including those identified as being able, gifted or talented and those with special educational needs are met. Our excellent teaching and learning aims to maximize opportunities and develop the children's confidence, so they can challenge themselves and take risks.
We believe in treating pupils as individuals, providing an education that is suited to their particular needs and abilities to help them reach their full potential. We do this through careful personalization of the curriculum opportunities offered and enrichment programs that may be required. We want to develop each pupil as a whole person with the skills and competencies necessary for her future life roles.
Able or high achieving learners are defined as those who have abilities in one or more subjects in the statutory school curriculum, other than art and design, music and PE. They have the capacity for, or demonstrate, high levels of performance in an academic area. This also includes children who are leaders or role models and who display outstanding leadership and/or social skills.
Gifted students are students who excel academically in one subject or more than one subject, they show high level of natural abilities, advanced pace of learning, and high standards of performance compared to students of the same age.
Talented students are students who excel in a practical skill, such as sports, leadership, artistic performance, or a particular vocational skill.
In practical classroom terms most able children are likely to present themselves to teachers in one or another of three groups:
Those whose outstanding ability is so evident (and in some cases linked with behaviors that cause difficulties in the classroom), that teachers seek to develop specific strategies to cope with their high ability. Able pupils can have/be:
Children are continually tested by means of national tests and formative assessments throughout the school. In addition the following methods will be used:
No one single method can be entirely accurate. The school will seek to provide an enriched curriculum for all children. Through this it will be possible to identify the most able and those that are gifted.
Acceleration is not usually recommended because there may be social difficulties through differences in levels of maturity. It is possible to address the needs of these children within the appropriate year group. However, very occasionally there will be times when it will be appropriate for children to work with older children, through curricular activities, visits and specialist programs. Withdrawal groups can be used but these will be done sensitively.
Enrichment/extension work is provided by all teachers in all classes as part of normal differentiated provision. This is shown on planning documents. Working with others of like ability is important. This can be made possible by group work, or by the use of setting. Differentiation should provide activities requiring higher order thinking skills. Gifted children need to be challenged. The role of the teacher is vital in challenging the thinking of the gifted child.
These are highly valued for the gifted and talented child and include:
The following people can support this through regular reviews:
Each year class teachers will draw up a register of able and/or gifted children in each year group and monitor the progress of students on the register. In addition there will be a register of underachieving children (i.e. students with high academic ability but slow rates of progress). Their progress will be closely monitored. Students can be placed on the inclusion register for having both G&T skills and SEN issues.
Parents and teachers will work together for the needs of the gifted and talented child.
Each key stage will provide information on Gifted & Talented Pupils and plan transition programs to ensure high expectations are set for Gifted and Talented students.
If the SEN is one which cannot be dealt with in school then a referral will be made to the relevant facility:
Approved by: School Director, Ahd Abou Ghazal