سياسة الدعم التعليمي

In line with the ADEK Inclusion Policy. Doc No: ANPS/ACD/POLICY/004 — Date: Sep 01, 2024 — Rev.: 00

Contents

1. ANPS Policy on Educational Risk
2. Identification of Students at Educational Risk
3. Developing Interventions
4. Monitoring and Evaluation at ANPS

Review / Sign-off

• KG

  Led by

  Ms. Elizma

• Elementary

  Led by

  Mr. Ailbe

• Middle & Secondary

  Led by

  Mr. Mohieddin

• Inclusion

  Led by

  Ms. Estelle

• Arabic & MOE

  Led by

  Ms. Ahlam

• Other:

At ANPS We Believe That:

"All students can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way." — George Evans.

Inclusion Statement

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.

Vision

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.

Mission

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:

• Students with special educational needs (SEN)
• Gifted and talented students (GT)

General Objective

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.

Definition of Special Educational Needs (SEN)

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.

ANPS Targets

• Have regard to the Code of Practice on the identification and assessment of the students in need of support.
• Make SEN provision an integral part of our School Development Plan.
• Follow the guidelines laid down by ADEK.
• Work in partnership with the child, parent/carers, all staff and outside agencies.
• Teachers will use a range of inclusive techniques to provide effective learning opportunities for all pupils.
• Give the learners, where possible, a voice in planning and in decisions that affect them.
• Ensuring a high level of staff expertise to meet pupil needs, through well targeted continuing professional development (CPD).
• Requesting original clinical assessments reports from parents completed by any relevant specialists such as a therapist, psychologist, or pediatrician.
• Provide any accommodations required by the student to complete the assessment, if assessments are part of the school's admissions process, and utilizing such assessments as a means to inform the provision of learning support as per Policy 44 (Student Admission, Registration, and Distribution). These assessments shall not be used to deny admission to the school.
• Use all information provided to ensure equitable and safe access to the learning and physical environment of the school for students with additional learning needs, making reasonable adjustments where necessary.
• When a child is identified as not making adequate progress, provision that is additional to or different from the school's standard inclusive curriculum will be provided.
• Recognise the importance of early identification and if the child's difficulties prove less responsive to the provision made by the school, then an early start can be made in considering the additional help the child may need.
• When a child is identified as having special educational needs, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed, tailored to their specific needs. Realistic and achievable targets will be set, and the plan will be reviewed and evaluated regularly. This process will actively involve the child, parents, teachers, and all relevant support services.
• Enhance self-esteem by setting appropriate targets and by using an acceptable achievement system to celebrate them.
• A variety of complementary approaches will be used to support both the class teacher and the child. These may include inclusive strategies, one-to-one support, small group work, whole-class interventions, in-class assistance, or withdrawal sessions when appropriate.
• The student will be included within the class wherever and whenever practicable, to promote full participation and a sense of belonging.
• All students with special or additional needs will be enabled to participate in school activities alongside their peers without additional needs, wherever it is reasonably practicable to do so.
• Enable identified pupils with specialized and SEN, to reach their full potential.
• Use all resources appropriately and efficiently.
• Make full use of all the support agencies.

Areas of Need

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:

• Communication and interaction
• Cognition and learning
• Behaviour, emotional and social development
• Sensory and/or physical
• Medical

Identification and Assessment

A child has special educational needs if he/she has:

• A learning difficulty refers to a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age, or a disability that makes it difficult to use the educational facilities generally provided locally. If that learning difficulty calls for special educational provision, then appropriate support and interventions will be put in place to meet the student's individual needs.
• Special educational provision refers to support that is additional to, or different from, the provision typically made for children of the same age in local schools. This is designed to meet the unique needs of students with identified learning difficulties or disabilities.

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.

Raising Concerns: Involving the Child and Parent Throughout

• Parents/carer
• Child
• Class teacher assessments
• Response/length of time on SEN register
• Any of the support services mentioned later
• Records – transferred from another school
• Baseline assessments
• In-house testing and assessment
• Records of achievement
• Special needs register
• Pupil tracking

Measuring Progress to Identify Support Needs

• Ongoing teacher observations and assessments
• Outcomes from baseline assessment results
• Their performance against P Scales or other relevant progress indicators at the end of the academic year, in line with the National Curriculum
• Achievement of IEP/DLP Targets

Strategy

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.

Identification

• Standardised screening and assessment tools by the Head of Inclusion
• Baseline assessments
• International Benchmark, Progress Tests such as CAT4, PISA, PIRL, MAP Tests, etc.
• Progress measured against Curriculum standards.
• Observations of behavioural, emotional and social development

Monitoring

• In class support by TA's and SEN team
• Accommodation and modification of curriculum
• Pull-out sessions by TA's and SEN team
• Collaboration with outside special needs centers to provide additional support for students.

The Three Tier Model of Intervention (Multi-Tier Support System)

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 1

1. Identify specific instructional approaches to address the students' needs inside the mainstream classroom.
2. Implement a monitoring system (Assess, plan, do review cycle).

Tier 2

• This involves planning for a more individualized course of intervention and instruction.
• An IEP (Individual Education Plan), ALP (Advanced learning plan) or GSP (Group Support Plan) may be developed.
• The Learning Support Teacher will write the IEP/ALP/GSP alongside the student's teacher, other relevant teachers, SENCO and parents.
• The IEP/ALP/GSP will be reviewed at least each term in a progress meeting where parents will be informed of the child's progress.

Tier 3

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.

School Model of Assessment and Provision

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.:

• Closes the attainment gap between the child and their peers
• Prevents the attainment gap growing wider
• Is similar to that of peers starting from the same attainment baseline, but less than that of the majority of peers
• Matches or betters the child's previous rate of progress
• Ensures access to the full curriculum
• Demonstrates an improvement in self-help, social or personal skills
• Demonstrates improvements in the child's behaviour

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.

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:

• Makes little or no progress when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in a child's identified areas of weakness
• Shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematical skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas
• Presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not ameliorated by the positive behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school
• Has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of specialist equipment
• Has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum.

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.

External Support Services (ESS)

The triggers for ESS could be that, despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support under School Action, the child:

• Continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period
• Continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of children of a similar age
• Continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematical skills
• Has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with the child's own learning or that of the class group, despite having an individualised behaviour management programme
• Has sensory or physical needs, and requires specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service
• Has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

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.

External Assessment of Special Educational Needs

A child will be brought to an outside agency's attention as possibly requiring an assessment through:

• A request for an assessment by the school
• A request for an assessment by the parent or
• A referral by another agency.

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).

Identifying Pupils with Special Educational Needs

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:

• Closes the attainment gap between the child and the child's peers
• Prevents the attainment gap growing wider
• Is similar to that of peers starting from the same attainment baseline, but less than that of the majority of peers
• Matches or betters the child's previous rate of progress
• Ensures access to the full curriculum
• Demonstrates an improvement in self-help, social or personal skills
• Demonstrates improvements in the pupil's behaviour

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.

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

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:

• The short term targets set for or by the pupil
• The teaching strategies to be used
• The provision to be put in place
• When the plan is to be reviewed
• Success and/or exit criteria
• Outcomes (to be recorded when IEP is reviewed)

Group Education Plan

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.

Monitoring and Reviewing IEPs/IPLPs

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.

Record Keeping and Assessment

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.

Special Needs/Support Folder

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.

Other Records

Some teachers may keep anecdotal records, which are part of their continuous assessment.

• Mark books
• Individual records of support work kept by the support teacher
• Records of children who are working on specific programmes
• Reading interview sheets
• Examples of work – see records of achievement and assessment folders

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.

"At Risk Register"

Ms. Reem Mahmoud, the social worker, is responsible for Child Protection issues. All confidential paperwork is kept in his office.

Medical Information

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 Role of the Support Team

• Learning support coordinator
• Learning support teachers
• Classroom Teachers

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 Role of the Learning Support Department

• Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school's Learning Support policy
• Coordinating provision for children who need support
• Liaising with and advising teachers
• Overseeing the records of all children who need support
• Liaising with parents of children who need support
• Contributing to the in-service training of staff
• Liaising with external agencies
• Attend appropriate training to support the role, to disseminate to staff and to use the school development plan to implement new developments
• Work closely with the SLT (Senior Leadership Team).

Building Adaptations/Special Facilities

The school has a lift/elevator for wheelchair access to the upper levels, plus ramps for ease of access.

Staff Training

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.

Partnership with Parents (all those with parental responsibility)

"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:

• Acknowledge and draw on parental knowledge and expertise in relation to their child
• Focus on the children's strengths as well as areas of additional need
• Recognise the personal and emotional investment of parents and be aware of their feelings
• Ensure that parents understand procedures, are aware of how to access support in preparing their contributions, and are given documents to be discussed well before meetings
• Respect the validity of differing perspectives and seek constructive ways of reconciling different viewpoints
• Respect the differing needs parents themselves may have, such as a disability, or communication and linguistic barriers
• Recognise the need for flexibility in the timing and structure of meetings.

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:

• Communicate regularly with their child's school and alert them to any concerns they have about their child's learning or provision
• Fulfil their obligations under home-school agreements which set out expectations of both sides.

We will ensure that parents are fully involved in any discussions leading up to a school's decision.

Partnership with Pupils

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.

Complaints Procedure

Parents/carers are asked to speak to the teacher, Learning Support Department or the Head of School in the first instance.

The Use of Information Communication Technology

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 Success

Evaluation of the success of this policy requires evidence of:

1. Increased parental and pupil involvement.
2. Careful monitoring of targets achieved against those set in the IEP/IPLP.
3. Early identification of students.
4. Improvement in standards of achievement by individual children as determined by formal and informal assessment.
5. Staff development with continued Professional Development.
6. Further developing links with other schools and agencies and within the community.

The Identification of Students at ANPS

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.

• Is the student new to the school? Could sadness, grief, anxiety or culture shock be influencing learning? A peer buddy can support the student in understanding what is acceptable and unacceptable in the new culture, and help the student to find his or her place and promote a sense of belonging.
• Has the student had a consistent learning background? How many schools has he or she attended? It is crucial to look carefully at the previous educational experiences and identify where there may be gaps or overlaps in learning if new learning experiences are to be relevant.
• Are levels of working English being masked by good speaking levels? Some students learning additional languages may not yet be ready to speak but may write well; some learners will speak without fear of making mistakes; other students will not speak until they feel that their spoken language is acceptable. When a student cannot express himself or herself it can threaten their self image, leaving them without anything to say and with no apparent sense of humour.
• Are medical issues the reason why student learning is not optimal or why challenging behaviours are being exhibited? Screening for sight and hearing should be considered. In cases where students have more complex needs or are non-verbal, consider undiagnosed pain to explain unusual behaviours.
• Language profiles and language mapping (Language and learning in IB programmes, 2011:27) can give information as to the true levels of all-round language development and assist in developing the knowledge of how best to help the student settle in.

If a Special Educational Need Is Identified

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:

Stage 1

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.

Stage 2

If the student is not making the required progress, the LS will be notified.

• An intervention referral form for the student must be completed by the teacher specifying the problem areas.
• Submit this form to the LS department.
• Arrange a time when the LS can visit your class to observe the identified student.
• A meeting will be held between the LS and the teacher as feedback.
• Suitable assessments may be carried out by the teacher or LS.
• If identified as needing support, small groups or 1:1 time-limited sessions may be provided, to accelerate progress and enable children to work at age-related expectations.
• A permission letter must be signed by parents.
• A group or individual PLP (Pupil Learning Plan/Program) must be devised and implemented by all personnel involved in the pupils' education.

Stage 3

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.

• The LS will arrange a meeting with the parents of the student, the identifying teacher(s) and the Head of School.
• Pupil will be referred to external agencies for further assessment.
• A permission letter must be signed by parents.
• An IEP (Individual Education Program) is devised and involves individualised and targeted teaching and learning for children who have complex needs or are working well below age-related expectations.
• This IEP will be produced with the input of all the student's teachers, LS and the Head of School.
• The IEP will be utilized by all involved teachers to form the basis for their differentiated lesson plans, in order to meet the needs of this student.
• The IEP will be reviewed on a termly basis by the SENCO, teachers and Head of School.

Gifted and Talented

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.

Definition

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.

Aims

• To support the abilities, personal qualities, and talents of all children.
• To ensure that all children receive an education appropriate to their abilities and aptitudes.
• To recognize the need for each child to be given the right opportunities to achieve their full potential and to access a broad and balanced curriculum.
• To provide teaching that is both challenging and enjoyable, promoting higher-order thinking and questioning skills.
• To promote a cross-curricular approach to gifted and talented provision.
• To provide learning experiences that enable pupils to develop special skills or talents.
• To create a positive atmosphere in which pupils can develop confidence and self-respect.
• To identify underachievement early and to work proactively to address it.
• To employ a wide variety of methods for recognizing potential.
• To stimulate children through extra-curricular activities and curriculum enhancement.
• To have the expectation that the curriculum will be extended to meet the needs of the most able.
• To develop approaches and strategies that teachers can use to provide appropriate support to gifted and talented pupils.
• To ensure that pupils and staff have access to specialist support and guidance when appropriate.
• To encourage and support parental involvement in the education of gifted and talented pupils.
• To audit staff skills and plan professional development to support the achievement of these aims.
• To complete and maintain a comprehensive register.

Most Able/High Achieving Pupils in the Classroom

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:

• Good all-rounders
• High ability in one area only
• Of high ability but with low motivation
• Of good verbal ability but having poor writing skills
• Very able with a short attention span
• Very able with limited interpersonal/social skills
• Keen to disguise their abilities
• SEN (think of children on the Autistic spectrum)
• Behavioral difficulties
• Keen to 'disguise' their skills due to peer pressure

Gifted & Talented Register

Identification

Children are continually tested by means of national tests and formative assessments throughout the school. In addition the following methods will be used:

• Teacher observation and assessment
• Checklists
• Background knowledge
• Assessment of pupil's work
• Assessment - achievement, potential and curriculum ability
• The expertise of the coordinator in supporting the judgment of the teacher
• Peer nomination
• Parental information

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.

Organisation

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.

Classwork

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.

Extra-Curricular Activities

These are highly valued for the gifted and talented child and include:

• Club activities – curricular subject, plus chess, photography, gardening etc.
• Activity days and Master classes. These may be organised by The School and through Partnerships with other schools.
• The use of specialists e.g. teachers from secondary departments (for primary), visiting artists and authors.
• A broad, creative curriculum, giving children a chance to thrive.
• Opportunities to enter the 'Hamdan Award' program and international programs such as 'Tournament of the Minds'.
• Tournament of Minds.

Coordinating and Monitoring

The following people can support this through regular reviews:

• Inclusion Leaders
• Gifted and Talented Coordinator/leading Teacher.
• Coordinators for PHSE will support issues.
• Governors and external advisors.

Review and Development

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.

Partnership with Parents

Parents and teachers will work together for the needs of the gifted and talented child.

Key Stage Transfer

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.

Referral Cases

If the SEN is one which cannot be dealt with in school then a referral will be made to the relevant facility:

• Insights Psychology
• Little Smarties Development Centre
• American Centre for Special Abilities
• Son Rise Centre
• Kids First
• Aota
• Dots and Links

Approval

Approved by: School Director, Ahd Abou Ghazal