SEN and Inclusions Departments
The Junior and Senior School is an equal opportunities establishment and welcomes applications from parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or children who have English as an Additional Language. The School has a Special Educational Needs Coordinator at The Junior School and an Inclusions Manager at the Senior School who oversee departments of Learning Support Assistants (LSAs), liaise with external agencies and provide support, advice and in-house training to School staff.
The Principal has the responsibility for all decisions concerning the acceptance and/or non-acceptance of pupils with disabilities after consultation with colleagues and parents in order to establish whether a pupil’s individual needs can properly be met or not by the school.
Admission to The Junior and Senior School depends upon a prospective pupil exhibiting the potential to cope with mainstream education. This includes an extended National Curriculum in all parts of the school. We must also feel reasonably sure that we will be able to educate and develop the prospective pupil to the best of their potential and in line with the general standards achieved by their peers, so that there is every chance that they will have a complete, happy and successful school career and emerge a confident, well-educated and well-rounded adult with a good prospect of a satisfying life.
The Junior and Senior School’s policy is to apply the above criteria to all pupils and all potential pupils regardless of any special educational need or disability of which it is aware.
Definition
Pupils are described as having ‘special educational needs’ (SEN) or ‘special educational needs and disability’ (SEND) if they have a learning difficulty and/or disability which needs a special education provision made for them.
A learning difficulty means that a child has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children in the same age group both at school and ‘nationally’ or has a disability which is defined as someone who has a mental or physical impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
EAL – English as an Additional Language
Children are considered to have English as an Additional Language if their first language, the language spoken at home, is not English.
Children who begin school with English as an Additional Language will be encouraged to attend booster sessions in Englishas a part of their induction to the school.
The Junior and Senior School recognises the need to provide a supportive, positive learning environment for students with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities and for students who have English as an Additional Language.
Procedure to Support Pupils with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability and English as an Additional Language
On application to the school, a request is made for information on the pupil. Parents should communicate to the school any information they have about the pupil regarding Special Educational Needs or disabilities and provide the necessary documentation.
All pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs and English as an Additional Language, must sit and pass the school’s Entrance Exam in order to be offered a place at The Junior and Senior School. Special provision and accommodations for the Entrance Exam will be made if the school has proof of prior provision from a previous school or there is an educational psychologist’s report.
Staff Training Workshops
Staff Training Workshops provide an opportunity for staff to be briefed regarding the needs associated with particular forms of difficulty/disability. Since many staff come into contact with any particular child during the course of their education, it is important that there is a good level of awareness as to the issues which are likely to arise and to be informed of the best teaching and learning practices to be used in the classroom to support the pupil.
Health and Safety
Pupils with certain learning difficulties/disabilities will be at greater risk of accident or injury. The school will undertake a specific risk assessment for all children entering The Junior and Senior School and will determine in each case what particular action or procedures may be necessary to avoid or reduce risk.
Curriculum Modification
Depending on the individual circumstances, the full range of school academic and non-academic activities may not safely or reasonably be available to pupils with learning difficulties/disabilities. An assessment will be made as part of the admissions process and parents will be advised accordingly.
Where reasonable and practicable, other options will be offered.
Assessment and Examinations
Where it is appropriate to make adjustments regarding assessment and examinations, The Junior and Senior School will take advice from the Examination Boards. The school will adopt the procedures of the Boards for its internal and external examinations.
Legislation
Provision for children with SEN(D)/ EAL in the school is in line with Cyprus and UK legislation, because the rights of children with special needs are safeguarded by international declarations and conventions ratified by the Republic of Cyprus.
This information should be read in conjunction with the school’s relevant policies.
