Inclusion – Dubai National School-Al Barsha

DNS Learning Community’s Inclusive Education Provisions

Dubai National School Al Barsha inclusive education support services and provisions for students with special educational needs and disabilities are fully compliant with the KHDA Inclusive Education Policy Framework, Inclusion Handbook, Parents Guide for Inclusive Education, KHDA Distance Learning Provisions for SEND, Ministry of Education (MOE) Special Educational Needs laws, UNCRPD Rights for Children with Disabilities and Other International Inclusive Education Frameworks. These publications and frameworks provides the latest best inclusion practices as well as guidelines for strengthening inclusive education practices related to learner referral systems, guidance, counseling and therapeutic intervention procedures, use of learning support teachers and assistants in Learning Support Programs (LSPs) and Resource room Remedial Teaching(RRT) with other professional interventions for academic improvement and learners overall personality development.

DNS learning community believes that barriers to learning should be addressed, accommodated or removed for those who experience them in a safe, secure, caring and supportive environment. We believe that Emirati learners should be recognized and valued in line with the UAE National Agenda.

Inclusive education in Dubai National School Al Barsha is about access to quality inclusive education for all learners, particularly learners with special educational needs & disabilities (SEND), and those who are Able, Gifted & Talented (AGT) by effectively meeting their diverse needs in a way that is accepting, responsive, respectful and supportive. Learners participate in the educational programs in a common inclusive and caring learning environment with support services to diminish and remove barriers and obstacles from their learning process.

Dubai National School Al Barsha has developed a framework of values to promote inclusion, diversity, wellbeing, global citizenship and tolerance among learners. Learners are taught to respect every individual’s rights. Educators, professionals, leadership teams and parents are all expected to adhere to the values of inclusive education practices, and there has been a positive effect on the learning community as a result of it.

Inclusive Culture and ethos

Leaders at all levels at Dubai National School- Al Barsha promote an inclusive and caring ethos where everyone is valued and respected. The way in which the learning community develops learners’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities permeates every aspect of school life. As a result, learners’ share their understanding about rights and responsibilities with their families and local community.

There is a very strong emphasis on celebrating difference and diversity through the curriculum, assemblies and the very colorful displays, which celebrate and enhance learners ‘learning. All learners have equal access to the life and educational provisions in the learning community and leaders achieve this through clear policies and action plans which shows how the learning community engages learners and the local community. Educators and support staff promote respect for each individual in the learning community.

Action for Inclusion

DNS learning community is committed to total inclusion of all learners. At its heart, inclusive education is a provision that is committed to educating all learners, including learners’ with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and Able, Gifted and Talented (AGT) in a common inclusive learning environment. In these settings, all learners have access to differentiated quality instruction, curriculum, support interventions and learning support programs so that they experience success in learning and overall development.

All learners with special educational needs and disabilities are directly involved in general learners’ participation groups with their inclusion provisions and accommodations. As a result, nearly all learners with SEND are confident that the learning community listens to their views. These opportunities develop their academic self-confidence, self-esteem, speaking, listening, socialization and academic skills.

Dubai National School- Al Barsha has a strong Inclusive Education Action Team (IEAT) for the promotion of quality inclusion provisions, practices and learning support interventions across the learning community. The Inclusive Education Action Team’s (IEAT) smart work starts from the inclusive admission process and completes when successful transitions of learners’ with SEND take place from the learning community to college or universities for their higher education.

DNS Inclusive Education Learning Support Programs and Interventions

1]. Learning Support Push-in Program – LSP Push-in support is provided by learning support teachers and assistants to learners’ with special educational needs and disabilities who can reach the expected or exceed expectations in academic and non-academic performances. The push-in support is very effective because the subject teachers and learning support teachers are working closely with the learners inside their classes to improve their skills, enhance knowledge and develop their subject specific academic concepts.

2]. Learning Support Pull-out Program – LSP Pull-out support is provided by learning support teachers to learners’ with special educational needs and disabilities who can reach the expected or exceed expectations in academic and non-academic performances. These pull-out LSP sessions are conducted by LSTs through virtual resource rooms or face to face in the resource rooms available in different sections of the school. Subject specific LSTs are recruited by the learning community to deliver the quality learning support pull-out services to learners with SEND falling in tier-3.

3]. Remedial Teaching Program – The remedial teaching program is delivered after school hours are completed. The remedial teaching program is specially designed for the learners’ with SEND falling in tier-2 and 3, and for those learners whose academic progress and achievements are below average in regular academic assessments and term exams. The remedial teaching classes are fixed as per schedule of teachers and the availability of learners’ with their parental consents. Mostly there are 2 to 3 remedial classes weekly delivered to the learners based on their subject specific learning needs.

4]. Student – Students Education Support Program – In each Student – Students Education Support Group, students are nominated by supervisors, HODs, teachers and counselors based on their best performances and academic achievements or Able, Gifted & Talented (AGT) level to conduct weekly academic learning support sessions for Tier-2 and Tier-3 students after school hours under the supervision of Supervisors, Teachers and Counselors with their parents’ consent. The program gives an opportunity to students to practice as teachers to enhance their self-confidence, mentor skills, knowledge, and empathy. This program is also designed to increase peer to peer support and relationships.

5]. Speech and Language Development Therapy – The learning community has a consultant speech and language therapist from a partner therapy center who does the speech, language and communication needs screening, assessment and diagnosis. The speech and language therapist conducts therapy sessions in the learning community’s LSP resource rooms. Speech and language therapy sessions are delivered in English and Arabic Languages. Each session duration is 45 minutes and daily 5 to 6 sessions are delivered to the learners with SLCN. There is a weekly schedule prepared by speech and language therapist to accommodate all learners who need therapy sessions in school.

6]. Sensory Integration Therapy – The learning community has established a sensory integration lab in which learners’ with sensory processing difficulties are given therapy sessions to overcome from their SPD. The sensory lab is equipped with the basic needed resources for therapeutic interventions and a qualified inclusion specialist is incharge of the lab to conduct the learners’ therapy sessions and needed sensory screenings.

7]. Inclusive Education Guidance and Counseling Services – The learning community has a strong team of inclusion specialists and counselors. The counselors and inclusion specialists are providing guidance and counseling services to parents, teachers, learning support teachers, learning support assistants and learners. The guidance and counseling services include exam stress & anxiety management, time management, social responsibility, socio-emotional learning, psychological wellbeing, happiness promotion, exam preparation, cyberbullying, anti-bullying, digital safeguarding, parental counseling, building tolerance, social skills, life skills, resilience building, empathy, cognitive training etc. The counselors are conducting psycho-educational screenings and assessments for learners’ with SEND. The counselors are also providing behavior modification and counseling services for learners’ with socio-emotional and behavior difficulties. The counselors are working closely with all stakeholders of learning community to create awareness campaigns on selected themes based on international days like world autism day, International down’s syndrome day, world ADHD awareness day, mental health day, etc.

The Department of Innovative Inclusion Practices and Counseling Services

DIIPCS Activities and Services

Sl. No.	Abbreviation	Description	Sl. No.	Abbreviation	Description
1	ICS	Individualized Counseling Services	20	LOT2ARL - GRP	Lesson Observations for Tier-2 At Risk Learners (GRP Interventions)
2	GCS	Group Counseling Services	21	ONSENDI	Observations for New SEND Identification
3	LSPPS	Learning Support Program Push-in Services	22	OAGTI	Observation for AGT Identification (Able, Gifted and Talented)
4	IPESA	Internal Psycho-Educational Screenings & Assessments	23	SEND CTRPSS	SEND Critical Thinking, Research & Problem Solving Skills Sessions
5	IST PD HOI	Inclusion Support Team Professional Development with HOI	24	CACIRID	Celebration & Awareness Creation of Inclusion Related International Days
6	SHHWAS	Specific Health, Happiness & Wellbeing Awareness Programs	25	AGTSSPIOC	AGT Student Specific Presentations Inside & Outside Class
7	ISPFC	Inclusion Support Program for Counselors (One to One or Group)	26	ALPPAGT	Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) Provisions for AGT
8	CLSTDMP	Counselors & LSTs Departmental Meeting Participation	27	PECSBSDM	PE Class Students’ Behavior, Safety and Discipline Management
9	MGSLSALST	Meetings and Guidance Sessions for LSAs & LSTs with IEAT	28	SITS	Sensory Integration Therapy Services
10	TGPDWS	Teachers Guidance on Practicing Differentiated Worksheets	29	LSPPOTS	Learning Support Program Pull-out Teaching Services
11	SDBMS	Student's Discipline & Behavior Management Services	30	MPSEND&AGT	Meeting with Parents of SEND & AGT
12	OSPBLN	Observation for Student’s Problem Behaviors and Learning Needs	31	MSTDPSEND AGT	Meetings with Subject Teachers to Discuss Progress of SEND and AGT
13	PSTCMSEND	Parents, Supervisor, Teachers' & Counselors Meetings for SEND	32	OTPDIP	Organizing Teachers Professional Development on Inclusion Practices
14	IPAMA	Inclusion Provisions, Accommodations, Modifications & Adaptations	33	ODIIPCS PAMIS	Organizing DIIPCS Parent Association Meetings for Inclusion Success
15	DWEMS	Daily Work Evidence Management System	34	GTWIG	Guidance for Teachers to Write SMART Intervention Goals
16	BSOT3SOD	Buddy Support Observations for Tier-3 SODs	35	DTICAO	Differentiation in Teaching, Instructions, Curricular Activities & Outcomes
17	CLAO	Collaborative Learning Activities and Outcomes	36	SSALIP	Student-Students’ Academic Learning Improvement Program
18	LOT3SEND	Lesson Observations for Tier-3 SEND (IEP Interventions)	37	SECBLP	Socio-emotional, Cognitive and Behavior Learning Program
19	RRRTS	Resource room Remedial Teaching Services	38	DIIPCS SMSIM	DIIPCS School Management System Inclusion Module