Care for pupils

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

The majority of children in the International Primary school GSV don't speak English at home. For most of them, English is a second/ third/ fourth language! We call this EAL: 'English as an Additional Language'. Many children arrive at the GSV speaking no English. These children are given intensive support by the EAL specialist. Other children whose level of English language continues to require support will also be provided with EAL sessions.

LEARNING SUPPORT/ SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN)

Children join the school with various language backgrounds, as mentioned above. In addition, children may arrive with varying educational backgrounds, for example having come from a country where children start school at age 7. Some children may have gaps or a delay in their learning, and some children may have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. The school has a learning support team, and the international department has its own Special Educational Needs Coordinator. Some children may receive additional support, either  temporarily or more long-term from a member of the support team. If a child requires a special learning programme in order to support them with their learning needs, an Individual Education Programme (IEP) is written and regularly reviewed. All children's progress is monitored by this coordinator.

DIFFERENTIATION

Due to the nature of the IPS GSV, with children arriving with different language and educational backgrounds, class teachers realise that they have to differentiate the curriculum offered in each class in order to meet all children's needs. Your child's teacher can tell you more about the level at which your child is working and how his or her needs are being met.

EXTERNAL SUPPORT

Some children may require support from external agencies. This may include speech therapy or physiotherapy. If your child has a diagnosed difficulty involving, for example, hearing or eyesight loss or an autistic spectrum disorder, the local support services may be involved in an advisory and support capacity. In some cases, government financing is available in order to support your child. The Special Educational Needs Coordinator can provide you with more information on this if needed.