Inclusion

As stipulated by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education (2023, Pg. 14), “Inclusive education means that all students have the right to be educated to the extent possible with their age-appropriate peers who do not necessarily have disabilities in the general education setting of their neighborhood school with support provided. Inclusive education is not intended to limit the participation of students with special needs to regular education programs and services. Rather, inclusive education means that students with special needs have the opportunity to participate in educational programs and services in the least restrictive environment that is commensurate with their individual strengths and needs.”(A School for All: General Rules for the Provision of Special Education Programs and Services (Public and Private Schools) )

At GEMS Metropole we support the rights of People of Determination to be integrated into public and private school as per Federal Law No.(29), (2006) by providing the best possible provision for students of all abilities and value the individuality, talents and gifts of all our students. We plan our teaching and learning so that each student can aspire to the highest level of personal achievement. We believe recognition of all achievements made, no matter how insignificant they may seem to others, is a great motivator for all students.

Inclusion Road Map

Diversity is an asset, and teachers strive to ensure that all students reach their full potential, irrespective of nationality, gender, religion, social class, culture, race, age or special educational need, for their self-fulfillment and their eventual development into active and responsible adults.

GEMS Metropole teaches the National Curriculum of England and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). It is essential that we provide an environment in which students feel stimulated, supported, cared for, and where their individuality, talents and gifts are supported. We instill self-confidence, self-belief, and resilience in our learners in accordance with the school’s ethos. This enables all students full access to all areas of learning through differentiating, adapting and modifying the curriculum if necessary, so that students can access quality learning and experiences as per their potential.

However, some learners may require a personalised pathway. We always strive to provide blended and flexible learning options for students so that all students have the opportunity to engage side by side with their peers. Depending on the unique needs of our students, some students may access Personalised Pathway opportunities through our Unity (FS – Year 2), Harmony (Year 3 – 6), and Discovery Entry (Year 7 – 9), Discovery Engaged (Year 10+) classes. To provide these personalised pathways, we incorporate elements from additional curriculums for example a range of ASDAN Courses from Life Skills to Vocational, and Pearson’s Entry Level Qualifications. Our Secondary students also have access to BTEC Programs to enrich their learning pathways.

To ensure an integrated approach of support for the students, we provide additional therapy support through our GEMS Links Program where DHA approved GEMS Speech and Language Therapists, and Occupational Therapists services are provided within the school, at an additional cost to parents. We take great pride in our positive working partnerships with external therapy agencies to ensure we are providing opportunities for students to generalise skills in different environments. Therefore, we also strive to accommodate external agency therapists within the school, provided that they attend our in-house Child Protection and Safeguarding Training and they have supplied a valid Police Clearance Certificate.

The school Inclusion Support Team offers individualised assessments to identify students’ strengths and barriers to learning for students with additional or special needs. These assessments inform the level of Inclusion support that the student will receive which is guided by KHDAs Graduated Response to Provision Model where provision is divided into 3 Levels of Support beginning at Level 1 which is only teacher differentiated support guided by a Pupil Passport; Level 2 which will require teacher differentiated support guided by a Pupil Passport and targeted intervention for example literacy, numeracy, fine or gross motor skills, or socio-emotional interventions; to Level 3 support which will include 1:1 LSA support and learning guided by an Individualised Education Plans (IEPs). Students on Level 3 support are students who require a modified and differentiated curriculum with the support of an LSA (who is not the lead/subject teacher or class TA) to engage in learning opportunities alongside their peers. LSA support is an additional cost to parents. Parents have the option of a school provided LSA or employing their own LSA who must be trained and skilled in SEND. Safe Recruiting is also the standard for the employment of LSAs. All LSAs must provide a valid Police Clearance Certificate and undergo in-school Child Protection and Safeguarding Training.

The IEP is written in partnership with the student, Learning Support Assistant (LSA), parents/guardians, teachers, and any external therapy agencies supporting the student. IEP reviews to monitor and track student progress are held on a termly basis and are informed through feedback and evidence from the LSA, class teachers, Inclusion Support teachers (1:1 sessions, in-class support, and/or small group support), parents, and external therapists supporting the student.

As part of our Inclusive Ethos, we also strive to ensure that our students have fair access to tests and exams so they can appropriately showcase their learning. The inclusion team helps identify areas where students require exam access arrangements (EAA) for tests and exams so they can access these fairly. In accordance with the JCQ EAA Rules, Regulations and Guidelines, the Inclusion team, based on teacher feedback, the student’s normal ways of working, and standardised assessment tools, will determine which EAA would grant the student fair access to the exams and inform the student, parents, and subject teachers accordingly. Sometimes, parents may require an Educational Assessment from an external agency to validate the EAA. If this is the case, parents will be informed and supported with this process. The inclusion team works closely with the schools Exams Officer to ensure that these EAA are applied for in a timeous manner.

As a school we feel it is vitally important to support our school of educators with relevant and current teaching practices in inclusion. Therefore, continuous professional development opportunities through our in-house inclusion team, and GEMS special educators, external agencies, and via online TES and National College platform sites are provided for the Metropole Teaching Community.

Our students’ happiness and emotional wellbeing is essential for them to make progress in all aspects of their lives including that of transitioning between phases of education, enhancing our student’s life skills and preparing our students for life after school. Our school Counsellors, Pastoral team comprising of Heads of Year, the Health and Well-being team, trained staff of Adolescent Mental Health First aid, and Teen Mental Health First Aid team all provide care systems for all our students, families, and staff in Metropole.

We believe that extending support to the family helps our students make better progress. We have an open door policy for all our parents to ensure we are working collaboratively and as a partnership so our students can thrive. To foster this essential partnership, we communicate with parents via email, telephone, and through face to face meetings and events. We meet termly for IEP reviews as a minimum. We host parent coffee mornings to encourage the sharing of experiences, provide a support system and to inform parents on areas of interest they have identified. We have Parent Representatives to share Parent Voice with the Inclusion Team. We also work with the Parent Ambassadors to expand Parent Voice and seek opportunities to foster partnerships that will enrich student learning opportunities.

Our Inclusion journey in line with KHDA’s inclusive ethos continues to strengthen and we are delighted to be recognized for our good work in Inclusion and Parent Partnerships in our KHDA reports of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023 in which the following feedback was provided:

• The school is very inclusive. Specialist staff identify and support students of determination very effectively to enable them to make good and better progress.
  
  
• This highly inclusive school is welcoming to all students.
  
  
• The high quality and effective implementation of the school’s arrangements for health, safety, care and support
  
  
• The very effective identification of barriers to learning and support for students of determination
  
  
• A friendly atmosphere of mutual respect and co-operation is evident across the school.
  
  
• Partnerships with parents are very positive. They are regularly consulted and welcomed at the school. Parents greatly value the support, training and advice they receive from the special needs coordinator, unit specialists and teaching staff.
  
  
• Parents are valued partners in their children’s education. This is especially true in the additionally-resourced autism provision, which partners with the school in providing high quality, wrap around educational experience for the children and their families.
  
  
• The school very successfully empowers parents to work as partners in their children's education.

For further information on how we provide support within Metropole, please feel free to refer to our Inclusion Policy.

For any enquiries regarding inclusion in Metropole, please contact Ms. Rathica Palavar on [email protected]

Policies

• GEMS Metropole Inclusion Policy 23-24
• سياسة التعليم المدمج
• Admissions Policy
• > سياسة القبول

Our school mission, vision and policy are based on the statutory requirements laid out by:

• https://www.khda.gov.ae/Areas/Administration/Content/FileUploads/Publication/Documents/English/20190123084554_SENDPOLICYSCHOOLS_EN.pdf (Implementing Inclusive Education: a guide for schools)
• Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework Supplement
• Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework
• Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework - Arabic
• Law No. (2) of 2014Concerning Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai
• https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/education/education-for-people-with-special-needs/inclusive-education-for-people-of-determination (Inclusive Education for People of Determination)