Admissions for Special Educational Needs

The school’s admission procedures are outlined in the school pamphlet; it is transparent that the school will not discriminate or disadvantage students with a disability or SEN. We have a fully functioning Autism Centre within our school and several qualified specialists working closely with our academic team, classroom teachers, parents and students.

In regards to SEN, we as a school identify the significance of early indication and diagnosis of students who require the support of our SEN team. We aim to ensure that strong procedures are in place to highlight students who are falling behind or those who are facing complications within any phase of their learning or social expansion at the earliest possible opportunity.

This process of early intervention is supported by:

  1. Reviewing the student’s existing abilities and achievement upon joining the school. We also take into consideration any information, health records or certificates from previous establishments or agencies; as this enables us to determine the student’s needs based on the individual. It also allows us to ensure the adequate monitoring of all students in regards to progress and attainment both academically and socially
  2. Apprehensions raised openly by the academic team, SEN specialists, parents and teachers, as well as the constant monitoring of the student’s progress in the core subject areas. Student development in other areas is also considered such as social growth, behavior and communication skills

In establishing whether or not a student may require SEN, the school will also pay attention to other influences which may be impeding the student’s achievement including;

  • Attendance
  • English as an additional language
  • Family circumstances

As a school we recognize that attention to these elements will be predominantly significant when a student is exhibiting challenging behavior or becoming isolated and withdrawn. We also recognize that such comportments can frequently disguise an unmet need both academically and/or socially; in this instance additional assessments will be completed to outline any fundamental factors that may be affecting behavior which may not be SEN related. Before determining that a student requires additional support, the SEN specialist and class teacher will review current provisions to meet the student’s needs within their everyday teaching and learning; the school will consider any additional adjustments and adaptations that should be enforced in order to support the student’s development.

Students Requiring Additional SEN Support

Once it has been determined that a student requires additional SEN support, students will receive an enriched platform of support in order to reduce obstacles to their learning; as a school we implement this through applying a fully operational special educational program for the student. This is managed through stages of assessment, development, involvement and reviews; as outlined below:

Assessment: Once we have identified that a student requires SEN support, a more detailed assessment of the student’s requirements will be carried out. This includes consultations with parents and, when suitable, the student. We may also refer to evaluations, observations and reports from outside agencies that may have been involved with the student such as speech and language therapist, autism specialist including any additional health records. The team may also carry out further diagnostic assessments of the student’s needs in other areas of concern.
Each student’s ability is measured according to:

1- Communication and interaction

2- Reasoning and learning

3- Social, emotional and mental health

4- Sensory and/or corporeal needs

As a school, we recognize that the student’s requirements may change overtime, hence the importance of on-going evaluations. This extensive assessment system will give a thorough representation of each student’s strengths and their needs at that particular time.

Development/Implementation: The school uses the evidence from the assessments to develop a plan to outline the support that will be implemented for the student. The development plan aims to:

  • Emphasize on a results centered system, the plan should clearly identify and support the students’ requirements depending on their individual needs.
  • Focus on the methods in which parents can be involved in order to strengthen and add to the student’s progress both internally and externally to the school
  • Give details of the involvement of outside organizations that may be also contributing to the development of student’s health or physical needs.
  • Be documented on an individual student support plan; or within class differentiation for those students who with support are integrating into standard classroom environments.
  • Be available to all class teachers and support staff in order to ensure that they are all completely mindful of the results required, the support being offered and any specific teaching strategies and methods that have been agreed to develop the student’s needs