Inclusive Education
At International Community School the vision for inclusion pervades all elements of school life.
The school operates an inclusive admission policy that encourages applications from students of determination and those students requiring additional support. The school currently provides for a broad range of needs. Students of determination are represented across all phases of the school. The school has a strong culture of inclusion which is in line with the ethos of American Curriculum schools.
Specialist staff are in place to directly support students of determination and those students requiring additional educational accommodations. The staff within the School Support Services (SSS) provide innovative professional development opportunities for class and specialist teachers to enable them to proficiently apply inclusive approaches to all age groups and phases across the school.
Leadership at all levels has embraced the ICS vision for inclusion, from the commitment of governance and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) through to the appointment of staff who are committed to an inclusive culture of education. The school is committed to providing high levels of resourcing and the promotion of professional support to ensure that teachers regularly apply inclusive pedagogy.
Through the inclusion development plan and regular meetings that involve school governors, SLT and other relevant parties, the SST regularly reviews and improves provision. Through the use of specific assessments, the SST is able to identify individual student’s strengths, needs and abilities and subsequently provide guidance on the most successful accommodations to support access to the curriculum and enable these students to thrive in both their academic and personal development. The SST oversees the provision of intensive targeted support and specialist instruction that meet the needs of individual learners. This results in a detailed understanding of each student’s learning profile and successfully removing barriers to learning. If necessary, an Individual Education Plan is created to identify needs, recommend teaching strategies and provide advice and support for parents for educating their child at home.
Regular meetings with parents and through the provision of verbal and written reports, parents are informed about the next steps in learning for their child. The SSS can recommend additional specialist advice or support as and when it is deemed necessary to provide equitable educational opportunities.