Inclusion Policy

American Private School of Kalba

INCLUSION POLICY

Mission

Create an efficient world-class education system that engages and empowers every student to become life-long learner who is responsible, productive and an engaged citizen within the global community.

Vision

School graduates capable of lifelong learning, who can apply their knowledge and skills and values required for an effective role in society.

American School of Kalba

Inclusion Policy

According to UNESCO, inclusive education is seen as “a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion from education and from within education”

The Ministry of Education UAE describes inclusive education as: “inclusive education is the process through which schools develop systems, classrooms, programmes, and activities so that students are able to learn, develop and participate together. In an inclusive school, the curriculum, physical surroundings, and school community should reflect the views and characteristics of its students. An inclusive school honours diversity and respects all individuals”

Successful inclusion should result in every student feeling safe, confident, and happy at school. Successful inclusion should see every student making the best progress of which they are able and enjoying their time at school - be that in lessons, or when involved in any extended school activities. Successful inclusion should promote every student’s self-belief as a learner and valued member of our school community.

Successful inclusive provision at American School of Kalba is seen as the responsibility of the whole school community, permeating all aspects of school life and applicable to all our students.

Rationale

A policy for Inclusion is necessary so that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of inclusion. The policy aims to promote and ensure that the needs of all students are met.

Aims

As such we will aim to:

Ensure that all students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum by ensuring levels of differentiation meet their individual needs and abilities.

Ensure the rapid and effective identification of students of determination as early as possible to make appropriate
Make sure that students of determination receive the appropriate provision to meet their
Ensure that students of determination take as full a part as possible in all school
Ensure that parents of students of determination are kept fully informed of their child's progress, attainment, and
Provide support, advice and training for parents and staff working with students of
Ensure that we recognize and support the needs of all children, including those who have SEND, and those identified as Gifted or
Enable students to develop to their full
Ensure that we challenge all students through the work that we set and the support that we
Ensure that students of determination are as involved as possible in decisions affecting their future SEND

American School of Kalba School Ethos and Values in relation to inclusive education:

In in line with the UAE values, the governors of ASK view the attributes of persons with disabilities, as a reflection of their strength of character, their perseverance, and their At ASK, we care about the rights and access to equitable opportunities for people of determination are assured and protected.
We recognize the importance of inclusivity in ensuring that our facilities meet the needs of people of determination and ensuring they have access to all that the school has on We believe that people of determination must be treated with respect and fairness without fear of discrimination.

Meeting Diverse Needs of Students:

At American Private School of Kalba we recognize that to achieve the school aims we must actively seek to recognize and meet the diverse needs of our students by:

Monitoring the achievement and well-being of all our students and the quality/nature of the learning opportunities they are
Tracking each student’s academic, social, and emotional progress and using the resulting knowledge to plan provision for the individual or groups of
Correctly identifying and then seeking to overcome potential barriers to students’

Learning or their full participation in school life.

Developing and deploying our resources to best reflect the various levels of need experienced by students.

Taking care to ensure that vulnerable students, including those with additional or Special Educational Need or Disabilities are appropriately
Sharing any concerns, we may have regarding a student with their parents and then seeking to work together with them, for the good of the
Liaising closely with professionals from other agencies involved in the care and support of the student such as medical professionals and
Providing teaching and non-teaching staff with the support and training they need in order that their work promotes the best outcomes for each child.

Groups who may need additional support

There are several identified groups of students for whom this policy is particularly pertinent:

Determined ones

“Educational needs that are different from those of the majority of students, and which arise

from the impact of a disability or recognized disorder.”

Classification of Determined Ones

General Learning Disabilities
Specific Learning Difficulties (Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia & Dyscalculia)
Physical Disability
Medical Conditions or Health Related Disability
Students with physical or sensory impairments (Hearing Impairment & Visual Impairment)
Speech and Language Disorders
Communication & Interaction (autism spectrum disorders)
Emotional, Social and Behavioral Disorders

Other students who may require additional intervention / extended provision are:

students who may not be proficient in English to access English medium subjects (EAL)
students who are Gifted, Able / Higher Ability or Talented
students who might be subject to abuse or harassment, for whatever reason (refer to safeguarding policy)
students whose families are in crisis or under great stress
students at risk of significant harm (refer to safeguarding policy)
students with persistently poor attendance
students who are at risk of disaffection and exclusion from school

Students who may be at risk of underachieving, however, they may not have SEND

What are special educational needs or disability (SEND)?

‘A child or young person has special educational needs or disability if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or

A student or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she:
1. has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age, or

Has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in

What is a disability?

‘A person has a disability if -

(a) has a physical or mental impairment, and
(b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day ’

Identification Process (Students of Determination)

All students at American Private School of Kalba undergo regular and thorough assessment, both formative and summative. This assessment, throughout their learning journey, is to ensure that they are making appropriate progress and have the correct support and provision in place for them to be able to make good to outstanding

It is important that a student’s special educational needs are identified as early as possible so that the appropriate provision can be put in place. Students can be referred to the Inclusion Support Team on entry or at any point during their education at American Private School Of

The purpose of identification is to allow the Inclusion Support Team to work with students, parents, teachers, and outside agencies to create a plan for implementing actions, interventions, and support to address the barriers that may impact on progress and attainment.

Procedures for Identification of SEND Students

Pre-Referral is received from the Teacher/Parent/ Supervisor or Self. The needs are identified by means of:

Baseline Checklist for Academic performance
Identification at entry level
Parental concern
Concern expressed by the Class Teacher through normal assessment procedures
Analysis of Progress Tracking
Counselor/Special Educator: consultations, observations, and assessments
Maintenance and analysis of children's records

Assessment

Once a referral has been made, the student will be assessed by a member of the Inclusion Support Team to ascertain the

The assessment may comprise of several different elements, but is likely to include:

Seeking the viewpoint of the
Seeking and coordinating feedback from teachers across the
Discussions with parents on historical and current difficulties the student may be
Review of assessment
Identifying strategies that are already in place to support the

Once the assessment has been completed, the Head of Inclusion or school counselor will collate and assess the information to decide if further action needs to be taken. If the student is considered to have a need that necessitates additional provision, in or out of the classroom, the subject teacher and the Head of Inclusion will meet with the student (where appropriate), parents and associated professionals to plan for their provision.

Levels of Provision

To ensure that the correct level of support is put in place for the students at, we use the levelling system:

Level 1

Quality first teaching, where teachers accommodate individual differences in ability, learning styles and behavior through effectively differentiated classroom practice. These students will not be included on the SEND register but will be monitored whilst their individual needs are being assessed.

Level 2

Personal support and/or curriculum modification to enable a student to engage with, and participate in, appropriately challenging learning experiences and to achieve within age-related expectations. Teachers will support this process by observing students and making recommendations, as well as providing support through professional coaching and monitoring.

These students will be set targets on intervention plans to give them the support that is tailored to their needs.

Level 3

Individualized programs to accelerate progress or enable students to achieve their potential. This provision is ‘additional to’ or ‘different from’ the provision required to meet the needs of most students within the school. As with Level 2 students, they would have IEPs or intervention plans. Provision of support at Level 3 will normally involve the employment of an Individual Learning Support Assistant (ILSA) to support the student if necessary.

English as an Additional Language

Definition and Rationale.

The term EAL (English as an Additional Language) is used to refer to students whose main language at home is other than English.

EAL students, from complete beginners to those with considerable fluency, will have varying degrees of difficulty in accessing the potential. Research has shown that those new to English will acquire conversational fluency in two years but will need a minimum of five years to achieve competence in academic English. Such students would need language support if they were to reach their full potential.

Therefore, our main aim is for all EAL students to become confident in speaking, listening, reading, and writing to enable them to access the curriculum and communicate effectively with their peers and English medium teachers.

A child or young person does not have a learning difficulty or disability solely because the language (or form of language) in which he or she is or will be taught is different from their native language

Provision for EAL students:

Ensuring good EAL practices throughout the school.

Ensuring appropriate resources are available for staff and EAL students.

Train English teachers to support such students and develop their reading skills and speaking and listening skills.

Depending on the number of students, employ and EAL teacher to support the needs of EAL students.

GIFTED AND TALENTED

Gifted, Able and Talented

1.Definitions

Gifted Students

Gifted refers to students who achieve, or can achieve, significantly above average in one or more of the core subjects other than art, performing arts or physical education.

Able students or higher ability students:

‘Able or higher ability students’ refers to students who achieve, or can achieve, above average in

one or more of the core subjects, namely English, math, science, and Arabic language.

Talented students:

Talented refers to those students who achieve, or could achieve, significantly above average in art, performing arts, physical education or in areas requiring Visio-spatial skills or practical abilities (these could include a range of non-traditional areas).

Identification

Gifted and Talented children are identified with the help of class screenings and assessments. These include teacher assessment and observation, results of standardized tests (e.g., CAT4, MAP Tests,

Formative & Summative Assessments, achievement in art, sports, speech, drama, debate

Data considered will also include:

Information from
Information from previous schools
Discussions with students
Identification by staff using professional judgments, classwork, tests, quizzes, and assessment

Students gifted in English or Arabic Language may be identified when they:

Demonstrate high levels of fluency and originality in their
Use research skills effectively to synthesize information
Enjoy reading and respond to a range of texts at an advanced level
Use a wide vocabulary and enjoy working with words

See issues from a range of perspectives
Possess a creative and productive mind and use advanced skills when engaged in discussion
Work confidently on objectives for year groups higher than their own
Achieve levels in end of year examinations above those expected for their year group.
Demonstrate advanced writing skills while demonstrating syntax and creativity while writing for a purpose or an audience

Students gifted in Mathematics may be identified when they:

Explore a range of strategies for solving a problem be proficient in pre-calculus and calculus
Are naturally curious when working with numbers and investigating problems
See solutions quickly without needing to try a range of options
Look beyond the question in order to hypothesize and explain
Work flexibly and establish their own strategies
Enjoy manipulating numbers in a variety of ways
Work confidently on objectives for year groups higher than their own

Students gifted in Science may be identified when they:

Explore a range of strategies for solving a problems
Propose a question to investigate
Are naturally curious when conducting investigations and scientific research
See solutions quickly without needing to try a range of options
Look beyond the question to hypothesize and explain and draw conclusions
Carry out investigations, organize the results and draw
Work confidently on objectives for grade levels higher than their own

The School Register

Students who are identified by the school as being, Gifted, Able or Talented are entered on to the school register.

Parents will be consulted before a name is placed on the register by the subject teacher either during Parent Teacher Consultations or at another appropriate point.

Interventions

GT children are elected for leadership roles (Student Council) to demonstrate their skills and abilities.
In the classroom, GT children assist the Teacher by mentoring other students
To challenge their “Higher-Order” thinking skills, ‘HOT’ questions (and in grades 10-12 AP questions) are incorporated in their School Assessments and opportunities are provided for

Differentiated worksheets are given in the classroom to provide higher levels of learning opportunities

Teachers plan challenge 1 critical thinking, problems solving and independent extended activities
Challenge 2 activities such as: Inquiry and research
Opportunities are provided to these children for Co-Scholastic activities outside or in school activities such as Qur’an Recitation competitions, Art, Spelling Bee, inter school or intra school

The inclusion team would:

Maintain the register in consultation with other staff

Monitor the school’s provision for students identified as being Gifted, Able or Talented

Monitor the progress of students identified as being Gifted, Able or Talented by making a twice- yearly review of individual assessments.

The roles and responsibilities of school leaders in promoting and Supporting Inclusion The principal, Senior Leaders, and our Governing body:

Responsibility for making American Private School of Kalba a truly inclusive school lies with the principal, Senior Leaders, and the Governing Body of the School.
We aim to promote Inclusion at ASK through all our policies, systems, and

The school community and governing body has a responsibility to:

view and value student diversity as integral to the human condition
acknowledge that all students have the right to education in a common learning
prevent marginalization and discrimination in education based on the experience of SEND to reduce barriers to participation in learning
be proactive in removing barriers to learning, by adapting and modifying curricula, teaching, and learning strategies.
fulfil our responsibility to facilitate an inclusive learning environment
ensure students are not refused admission based only on their experience of SEND. This will ensure that students will be able to attend ASK as the school chosen for them by their
ensure that persons of determination who experience SEND will be guaranteed the right to receive quality education at
ensure that students who experience SEND will be actively supported to participate in the process of learning as they develop their potential, and build relationships with their peers, through social interactions in age- appropriate common learning
ensure that students who experience SEND will be provided with the support, accommodations and curricular modifications required to enable equitable access to

educational opportunities. Appropriate priority will be given to the development of each student’s potential, including meaningful participation in the learning process, with peers in the common learning environment.

promote the principle of equality for students who experience
fostering the use of inclusive instructional strategies and quality teaching through on- going capacity building, including providing classroom teachers with coaching and mentoring to facilitate learning for all students.
developing and implementing a plan to ensure the accessibility of school
organizing educational staff and other school resources to meet the learning needs of all
to comply with Accessibility Code so that physical accessibility is achieved, and existing environments such as classrooms, schools all other infrastructure, playgrounds and other spaces be made as fully accessible as

The Inclusion Support Team will:

Be comprised of the Principal, members of Senior Leadership Team, Social worker, and other Meet on a regular basis maintain minutes of the meetings.
Develop, implement, and monitor the impact of the strategic inclusive education improvement plan to ensure the successful inclusion of students who experience
Work in close collaboration with teachers and other educational staff by providing coaching and support to teachers on a timely basis
Assign learning support assistants and Inclusion Support Teachers to individual students who experience SEND and/or class groups as

School leaders’ roles and responsibilities in personalizing the curriculum

School Leaders at all levels; including Governors, principal, and heads of departments are responsible for ensuring that the curriculum; in its narrow and broadest sense, is personalized to match the needs of all the students who attend the
The School curriculum follows the USA common core Scope and Sequence in English, math and science and other English medium subjects and the MOE curriculum for the Arabic medium
The School has long-term year plans, medium term and weekly plans which are applied by departments and individual subject teachers to plan appropriate, differentiated activities for all students. This would include staff ensuring appropriate cross-curricular links, links with UAE culture and other world cultures and real-life application are made and developing learning and differentiation, and intervention and individual education plans to match individual

School Leaders would also ensure that the principles of Inclusion are applied to all activities which students engage in at school or on educational visits; these include the variety of out of school activities that are offered at our
All members of the School Community are expected and encouraged to adopt practices

which support the School’s Inclusive ethos within both the explicit and hidden curriculum.

Heads of Departments:

The school has heads of departments; for English, math, science, Arabic, and Islamic Education to support the subject teachers through mentoring and coaching and in providing the effective operational delivery of focused interventions in their departments to students who require intervention or additional support.

Subject Teachers

All students at American Private School of Kalba (ASK) spend most lesson times being taught alongside their class mates in their class Subject teachers are responsible for managing and creating the classroom environment.

Teachers have overall responsibility for the planning and delivery of lessons to their Teachers must seek to provide students with learning opportunities which will allow all the students to access the subject taught, encounter appropriate challenge, and promote progress. This differentiation is evidenced in their lesson plans though individual students may have targets set on intervention plans particular to their own specific needs in certain areas or aspects of the curriculum. Parents are informed by their child’s teacher of any additional or different provision being made for their child and may be asked to contribute to the targets where appropriate.

Teachers take the lead role in monitoring the attainment, learning, behavior, and well- being of students in their

Subject teachers have a pivotal role to play in achieving positive and supportive relationships with and between Subject teachers are central to successful liaison with parents and colleagues.

Medical staff will:

Work with all staff and outside agencies to promote the inclusion of all students, including the development of health care plans where

Parents will:

Work in partnership with the school to support their child and play a central role in the development of inclusive practices including the development of Individual Education Plans (IEPS).
Collaborate with the school regarding the education services provided to their children including assessments, accommodations, and
Share feedback regarding provision, accommodations and service provided including use of assessment procedures, education service planning and the evaluation of support and assessment
Use the school’s communication channels and complaints policy to contact the school if they are not satisfied with the support provided by the school regarding SEND, GAT or

The school would support students to:

Take responsibility for their own learning and centrally contribute to IEPs and related program design & review at developmentally appropriate
Take their place in society with confidence.

Staff Development and Training

The school ensures staff receive training with regards to inclusion to keep teachers updated regarding any changes and improvements to the school’s policy.

In addition, the school makes use of staff training and whenever possible, staff to attend courses and conferences based on their professional development needs and through their teacher self- evaluations.

Monitoring and Review

The governing body, principal and SLT will monitor the effectiveness and impact of this policy on students’ achievement. The principal will report to the governing body on the effectiveness of the policy at least annually and, if necessary, make recommendations for further improvements.