Additional Learning support | The British School Kathmandu

Additional Learning Support at TBS

“The inclusion of children who require learning support enhances the education of all children”

Taken from http://www.nextfrontierinclusion.org/

Often a significant barrier to Inclusion is our understanding of the different challenges the students with Learning Differences, or those learning English face in their daily lives. It is important to remember that they still want to play, are curious, enthusiastic and most importantly, they want access to the same opportunities other students have. At TBS we aim to remove the barriers to those opportunities by working closely with all stakeholders.

A large proportion of students at TBS are multi-lingual and are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). Where appropriate we use a Supported Immersive Model (SIM) for students with EAL, both in the Primary as well as the Secondary sections. This model allows the students to form important relationships within the class in a supported and inclusive environment that takes into account the difficulty they face in learning English, as well as learning in English. (Please see our section on EAL for further details)

For a number of years TBS has also been including students with a wide range of Learning Differences (LD) ranging from Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, to those on the Autism Spectrum and Cerebral Palsy. Central to our philosophy is the belief that every student should have access to high quality learning opportunities – simply put, this is Inclusion.

The pathways for identifying and supporting EAL students and those with an LD are quite different to reflect the differences in their learning needs. They are outlined in further detail in the different pages of this Learning Support site.

If you wish further information contact the Head of Learning Support.

Contact

Meet The Team

Ms. Jessica Dennison

Head of Additional Learning Needs

BA , ME-ELPS

Ms. Sasha Kydd

School Counsellor

BA Hons, PGD

Ms. Karuna Thapa

Secondary ALN Coordinator

MSc

Ms. Jaskriti Kaur

Primary ALN Coordinator

MBA, ECEC

Alina Rai

EAL Teacher

BA, M.Ed and TEFL

Ms. Muna Amatya

HLLS

DITA, MBA

Ms. Sangeeta Tuladhar

Pri LS/EAL

BA; Level 5 Certificate in TEYLT

Ms. Suchitra Kulung

HLLS

DITA

Mr. Nabin Karki

KS2/KS3 Maths Interventions

BBS, MSW

Mr. Subhash Timsena

Learning Support

MEd

Mr. Siddhartha Singh

Learning Support: Secondary Science/ICT

BSc

Ms. Pooja Manandhar

CLS/Secondary Humanities

MBA

Ms. Hasina Shrestha

Nepali Teacher

BBA, ECEC

Ms. Neelam Gautam

Nepali Teacher/ SLS

B.Ed, MA

Ms. Anushma Kadel

SLS

MA

Ms. Saraswati Chaudhary

SLS

BSc, MSW

Ms. Rajita Dangol

SLS

MA Psy

Counselling Service

Mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual recognises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her own community. World Health Organisation, August 2014

School based counselling is likely to be most effective where it is delivered as part of a whole school commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing. At TBS we recognise the importance of the holistic development of pupil and students through the provision of on-going prevention and intervention strategies. We work closely with our children and adults to ensure good mental health and wellbeing is championed, offering guidance to the pastoral team as well as providing one to one support for those who voluntarily seek it.

The aims of counselling are to assist the child or young person to achieve a greater understanding of themselves and their relationship to their world, to create a greater awareness and utilisation of their personal resources, to build their resilience, and to support their ability to address problems and pursue personally meaningful goals.

Please contact us for further information regarding our Counselling Service.

Speech and language service

Speech and language therapy in schools works to support and enhance children’s speech, language and communication development in the areas of:

Speech sound production and fluency, and the understanding of speech sounds
Understanding of spoken language
Use of spoken language
Use of language for thinking and reasoning
Social understanding and communication

This also can take into consideration play skills, attention and listening skills and behaviour and interaction. Children may present with communication difficulties for a wide range of reasons, including:

Developmental delays and disorders (including specific language impairment)
Learning difficulties
Autistic spectrum disorders
Various syndromes

They may require speech and language therapy when these difficulties impact on their ability to access learning in the classroom, participate in social and everyday activities, or negatively affect their emotional well being and behaviour.

Following a referral, in order to determine an individual plan of intervention, children are usually seen for:

Formal or informal individual assessment
Class based observations
Parent and teacher background and planning

Therapy may work in various ways:

To directly improve a child’s level of language/communication skills
To enable others in the home and school environment (family, teachers, peers etc) to support a child’s communication
To increase participation in learning and social settings
To adapt the environment according to a child’s needs
To provide alternative means of communication where appropriate.

Learning Needs

Moderate Learning Difficulties

Students who are significantly below their age expected levels across all areas of the curriculum, despite intervention and differentiated learning. Students with MLD will have difficulty acquiring basic Literacy and Numeracy skills. These students may also have associated difficulties in the areas of Speech and Language, social communication, low levels of concentration and should also be monitored for low self esteem.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD

Students with ADHD demonstrate poor concentration, distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsiveness which are considered inappropriate for the child’s age. This can lead to student’s being disorganised, forgetful, blurting out answers and unable to remain seated. Students with ADHD typically underperform and can also have associated learning difficulties such as Dyslexia.

Autism Spectrum

Autism describes a life-long developmental disorder. All students on the Autism Spectrum display impairments in three areas: understanding and use of of verbal and non-verbal communication; understanding of social behaviour; the ability to think and behave flexibly. Along with this Triad of Impairment, those with AS may also have sensory difficulties and other associated learning difficulties. Current thinking on AS identifies that they perceive the world differently which redirects the focus of support on modifying the environment rather than modifying the student.

Hearing Impairment

Students with HI range from mild hearing loss to profoundly deaf. In school students may benefit from accommodations or adaptive technology such as hearing aids or sound fields. Some students may require sign language in order to access the curriculum.

Multi-Sensory Impairment

Students with MSI will have both visual and hearing impairment along with other associated learning difficulties. As such they will have much greater difficulty in accessing the mainstream curriculum and the environment then those with a single impairment. Students will have difficulty in perception, communication and in acquiring information and will require modifications to their learning environment and the way that they access the curriculum.

Physical Difficulties/Disabilities

For some students with physical difficulties there will not be an educational difficulty and therefore would have a disability – this does not mean that they would be placed automatically on the LD Register. However, many students with PD may need modification to there environment or adaptive technology to access the mainstream curriculum. They may be mobile but may have difficulty with their fine motor skills, such as handwriting. Typical PD may include Muscular Dystrophy or Cerebral Palsy. If such accommodations are required then they may be added to the LD Register to ensure appropriate provision is made.

Social, Emotional and Mental Health - SEM

Commonly referred to as BESD in the UK, SEM describes responses or behaviours that are not within a typical range. These responses will typically be persistent and sufficiently severe to impact upon the learning of the individual. Students with SEM may be isolated, have poor family and peer relationships, concentration difficulties as well as aggressive behaviours. Other disorders can be evident in those with SEM such as anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders.

Speech and Language Disorder

A Speech and Language disorder describes students whose language development is delayed to such an extent that it impacts upon their learning. Typically, it will affect their receptive and expressive language as well as their understanding of language and speech sounds. Students with SLD will need to be taught speech language that typically developing students would learn naturally.

SpLD - Dyslexia/Dysgraphia/Dyscalculia/Dyspraxia etc.

SpLD describes difficulties that students have in the areas of reading, writing, maths and their actions.

Dyslexia: affecting the way that a student reads – typically students with Dyslexia will be reading at level far lower then their cognitive ability will indicate they should be.

Dyscalculia: affecting the way students acquire basic number facts – their will be a disparity between their cognitive ability and their understanding of maths. Unlike Dyslexia, Dyscalculia has only recently been recognised as a SpLD.

Dysgraphia: affecting the way students remember and mastering the muscle movements required to write – as with other SpLD this is a neurological disorder and can occur alongside Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

Dyspraxia: also known as Developmental Dyspraxia – an impairment or immaturity in the organisation of movements but also impacts language, perception and thought. Experts describe Developmental Dyspraxia as the difficulty in getting our bodies to do what we want when we want it to.

Visual Impairment

A visual impairment is defined as a difficulty that cannot be rectified by glasses/lenses or surgery. VI ranges from partially sighted to total blindness and the impact on their development depends on the level of VI, the age at which the become VI and the overall functional ability of the student.

Learning Differences

The British School follows an inclusive model, inviting applications from all. Individual applications are carefully considered by the Learning Support team, Heads of Key Stage and Admissions to ensure that the setting is an appropriate one that meets the needs of the student and the family fully.

Decisions upon accepting an application to our school are based on whether the child or student will be able to thrive and succeed within our setting and made in collaboration with all stakeholders.

As an inclusive school we employ teaching and support staff who are well trained and experienced in meeting the learning needs of our diverse student population, who celebrate difference and foster an environment that allows for the inclusion of all students.

The models of Learning Support outlined in the following pages describe in more detail the extent of our provision at TBS.

Provision

The British School offers a range of support based on the UK system of Special Educational Needs and Disability provision. Each application is reviewed on an individual basis.

Where there is a existing diagnosis of a Learning Difference then the Learning Support (LS) department will meet to determine the suitability of the setting to meet the student’s needs and agree an appropriate level of support.

Students can also be referred to the department where their needs will be assessed by the team, a meeting with parents will take place and again, an appropriate level of support agreed. Sometimes it is necessary for an external assessment to be administered. In such cases, a referral form will be completed and shared with parents.

All students referred to the LS department will be added to either the LD Register or the Initial Concern Register. All student progress will be reviewed regularly by all stakeholders – Head of Learning Support, Class teacher, Classroom Learning Support, Learning Support, Specialists, parents and the student – they may be removed from the register should the student be making the appropriate progress.

Send Register

Inclusion is at the heart of our provision at The British School and in line with recent changes to the SEND Code of Practice (2015) we offer two levels of support to ensure children can access within the mainstream classroom:

Class Action – Students receiving this level of support may have a diagnosis, or be in the process of receiving one. Students will benefit from 1:1 support from the LS department – up to 15 hours per week -, an IEP, access to small group intervention or specialist support from the Speech and Language Therapist (SALT). Their progress will be tracked termly with scheduled review meetings with all stakeholders.
School Action – Students at this level will have a diagnosis of LD and as such will have access to the above as well as receiving a greater level of support – over 15 hours per week from the LS team. The curriculum will be modified to meet their needs and they will be entitled to access arrangements at IGCSE.

Initial Concern Register

Some students may be identified through admission or by class teachers after a period of time in the learning environment. These students, while undiagnosed or with insufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of LD, would be carefully monitored by the LS department to ensure they are making progress within the mainstream classroom. While being monitored they will be placed on the Initial Concern Register.

If the student does not make progress after a term of implementing Wave 2 interventions and monitoring then a meeting with parents will take place followed by placement on the LD Register. If the student does make sufficient progress the student will be removed from the IC register.

English as an additional language - EAL

The majority of students attending TBS are multilingual and come from a variety of educational and cultural backgrounds. As such, it is sometimes necessary that students require support in their English language acquisition in order to access the curriculum. As part of our language assessment process, as well as to allow staff and students to become familiar with the new students, and vice versa, all new to English students will spend the first two to six weeks in class. This is crucial step in the social and emotional development of EAL students, allowing them to become familiar with routines, settings, teachers and their peers.

After spending these initial weeks in all classes, students will then be assessed using the NASSEA steps document which is linked to the Language in Common Framework used in the majority of schools in the UK. The NASSEA steps measures language acquisition in eight steps ( Step 1 being beginner English through to Step 8 being independent) and across four strands: Listening and Understanding, Speaking, Reading and Writing. This document will be collaboratively completed to give as broad a picture as possible of what the student can do across different areas of the curriculum. We continue to use the NASSEA steps framework to track the language progression of our EAL learners to ensure their development is as it should be.

Once identified as requiring further support an EAL Pupil Profile will be completed which will gather together further details of the language and educational background of the student – the quality of their first language, previous educational placements and whether they have received EAL support previously. An understanding of the quality of the students’ first language is important in recognising any possible difficulties there maybe in acquiring a second language.

Provision

Once identified as needing EAL support a student may enter one of three English Language Learner (ELL) programs; ongoing assessment allows for progression through each stage. The aim of all programs is to offer an appropriate level of support to allow for the full inclusion of the student into the mainstream classroom and to ensure their social and emotional well being needs are being met.

This is an entirely personalised program and may differ for each student.

INTENSIVE LANGUAGE SUPPORT - STEP 1 - 3

Primary

Students will be withdrawn from all English lessons as well as World Languages lessons. In addition students will receive supplementary Phonics sessions as well as attend Speaking and Listening sessions to build confidence in their second language. Regular meetings between class teachers and the LS team to support planning for English language learning in the classroom and review progress against the NASSEA steps.

Secondary

Students will be withdrawn from all English sessions as well as Modern Foreign Languages. They will be immersed in all other subjects where they may be supported by a member of the EAL team and will receive a differentiated curriculum that supports their language development. Regular meetings between subject teachers and the LS team to support planning for English language learning in the classroom and review progress against the NASSEA steps.

INTENSIVE LANGUAGE SUPPORT - STEP 3 - 4

Primary

Students may be withdrawn from all English lessons as well as World Languages lessons. In addition students will receive supplementary Phonics sessions as well as attend Speaking and Listening sessions to build confidence in their second language. Regular meetings between class teachers and the LS team to support planning for English language learning in the classroom and review progress against the NASSEA steps.

Secondary

Students may be withdrawn from all English sessions, as well as Modern Foreign Languages. They will be immersed in all other subjects where they may be supported by a member of the EAL team and will receive a differentiated curriculum that supports their language development. Regular meetings between subject teachers and the LS team to support planning for English language learning in the classroom and review progress against the NASSEA steps.

INTENSIVE LANGUAGE SUPPORT - STEP 5+

Primary

Support is given to the class teacher from the LS team along with some in-class support where appropriate. This allows the teachers to target specific language skills in context to support students as they engage with the curriculum.

Secondary

Students fully immersed in all subjects; some in-class support given. They may receive one or more sessions per week to focus on academic writing skills.

Resources

Supporting your child at home

As a child’s primary educator there are many ways in which parents can support students at home, depending on the age of the student and the quality of their first language.

It is still very important that students continue to develop their first language – this gives students a sense of belonging and supports their self belief. It is easier to acquire a second language when the first language continues to develop naturally.
Organise playdates for younger students – they will build confidence and knowledge of English when it is being modelled for them in social situations.
Get involved with the school – class teachers and subject teachers will be happy to provide information on topics that are coming up – discuss these topics with your child, this shows that you are interested in their learning.
Support your child with their homework – translate into first language to define or explain key concepts or vocabulary. TBS uses Google Classroom, Edmodo and MyiMaths to support learning – all parents should have access to these sites. Please contact the school if you cannot access these sites at home.
Remain positive – it is incredibly difficult to learn English and to Learn in English – your child will need plenty of reinforcement – praise them for effort!