Inclusion

Students:

At GEMS Al Barsha National School we passionately believe that all children are valued equally, regardless of their abilities. The school recognises that all children are entitled to have access to a broad and balanced curriculum which is adapted to meet their individual needs. We believe that regardless of the barriers, our students have the right to opportunities to reach their full potential and achieve the best possible outcomes.  

At GEMS Al Barsha National School, we strive to ensure that everyone is treated with utmost respect. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.

Our pupils have the right to opportunities which enable them to experience, understand and value diversity. It is our duty of care that ensures our students have access to the best resources, knowledgeable and experienced staff to ensure most of their learning journey.

Our aim is to facilitate our students to overcome barriers and challenges they face both academically and pastorally. Whether a student has been formally diagnosed or not, we provide various options under the umbrella of Inclusion. Sometimes, this involves collaborating with external agencies to provide the best specialists beyond the classroom. 

The Head of Inclusion works across the whole school to ensure the approach to Inclusion is the same for all staff. The team consists of the Head of Inclusion, learning support teachers, inclusion support team and LSAs who work across the phases. We believe in early intervention; hence the support is targeted in our primary phases as a priority. 

The Inclusion Support Team meets regularly to discuss policies, procedures and moving Inclusion through the school.

Our school counsellors provide support to students through safe space where students can come and speak about concerns or difficulties they are experiencing. We keep well-being for students at the heart of everything we do. 

Admissions:

As an Inclusive school, we enroll students in line with our admissions policy Link. The declaration of any needs made by the parents will be dealt with confidentially. To ensure that support is in place, we ask parents to send any reports which will enable us to carry out any additional assessments and meetings, ensuring that informed decisions are decisions agreed with appropriate next steps considered. 

Parent Partnership:

The school is committed to working closely in partnership with parents. Parent partnership is a two-way process with both parents and the school sharing their concerns for a pupil. We aim to work in partnership with parents to ensure the best educational provision and support is given to their child. We will meet with parents on a regular basis and review IEP targets on a termly basis if a students is on Level 3 support. For students who do not have an IEP but receive support, follow the same pattern where we meet parents on a termly basis to assess progress and plan next steps. 

Parents who have a concern about their child are encouraged to share this initially with the class teacher or the Head of Inclusion so issues can be dealt with quickly and successfully.

The support offered to different phases is: 

FS1 and 2

We work closely with the class teachers. They are the first point of contact for your child. We conduct regular observations to ensure that students achieve their developmental milestones. Where there are concerns, we invite parents to come and discuss these concerns so appropriate measures can be put in place. If there is a need for an external agency to provide therapy, it will be discussed at the meeting and consent sought. 

Primary- Year 1-6

As in Foundation stage, we work closely with the class teachers in primary too. The support in primary ranges from in class, interventions, therapies and counselling. Majority of our primary students have access to Quality First teaching. 

Secondary and Post-16

In our secondary school, we work closely with the form tutors, Head of Years, and subject teachers. When meeting parents, we always gather information from the subject teachers so there is an accurate picture of strengths and needs. 

Exam Access Arrangements: 

We also provide support for students who need Exam Access Arrangements. See the policy link at the end of this document

Higher Potential and Higher Performing students (More Able, Gifted and Talented) 

Our students who excel beyond the classroom or display exceptional talents are catered to through our G&T program. These students are identified through their CAT scores and may have a talent where they excel in a specific area which goes beyond their day-to-day learning journey. To support these students, we provide stretch and challenge, quality first teaching, opportunities to participate at external events and enrichment through extracurricular activities to pursue their passion. Please refer to the gifted and talented policy on the website for more information.

Whole School Approach

As a whole school approach, we observe, provide support and strategies for both staff and parents, track and monitor student progress and ensure communication goes from strength to strength. We provide support through a range of channels to ensure our students make progress relevant to their starting points

Please find the links to the documents for your reference and guidance below:

These policies were written with GEMS Global SEN Standards and incorporate the directives and guidelines from the following KHDA publications.