At Asker International School, it is important that teachers embody and model the Learner Profile to the students, colleagues, parents and the wider community. AIS therefore encourages teachers to be effective communicators, critical thinkers and principled lifelong learners who take on a shared responsibility when reviewing school policies and essential agreements. Teachers are asked to be inquirers and risk-takers when it comes to being curious about improving and implementing the policies. It is important that staff members remain open-minded and caring while ensuring to see others’ perspectives in a respectful and professional manner. Being knowledgeable of all the policies and essential agreements helps teachers to have a balanced understanding of how AIS operates. Being reflective as an educator helps our school community strive towards our vision.
Inclusion Policy (Date Reviewed: December 2023)
“Inclusion is an ongoing process that aims to increase access and engagement in learning for all students by identifying and removing barriers. This can only be successfully achieved in a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, support and problem solving. Inclusion is the learner profile in action, an outcome of dynamic learning communities” (The IB guide to inclusive education: a resource for whole school development, 2019)
Philosophy
In alignment with our school vision ‘Developing Global Citizens for the World of Tomorrow’ we aim to assist each child in developing their full potential, to become a versatile, effective and responsible citizen of the world. We endeavour to provide our students with appropriate educational programs that are challenging yet geared to their capabilities and needs. As an inclusive school, we strive to ensure our environment is a place where everyone belongs, supports, and is supported by their peers and other members of the school community. We will do this within a friendly and welcoming, healthy and protective, and gender-sensitive environment, delivering curricular programmes developed and authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), with English as the medium of instruction. All teachers at AIS are inclusion teachers and through Quality First Teaching, demonstrate respect and open-mindedness towards differences.
Purpose
The purpose of this inclusion policy is to clearly outline the expectations for creating and maintaining an inclusive learning environment at AIS whilst establishing clear responsibilities of all stakeholders towards ensuring that all our learners can reach their full potential. This policy describes the range of support available to students as well as the procedures that are in place in order to remove barriers to learning.
- ii) Adherence to Norwegian Law and International Baccalaureate Standards and Practices
Friskoleloven & opplæringsloven
- 3-4a.Tilpassa opplæring og tidleg innsats
Opplæringa skal tilpassast evnene og føresetnadene hjå den enkelte eleven.
På 1. til 4. årstrinn skal skolen sørgje for at den tilpassa opplæringa i norsk eller samisk og matematikk mellom anna inneber særleg høg lærartettleik og særleg er retta mot elevar med svak dugleik i lesing og rekning.
Translation:
- 3-4a. Adapt training and early intervention
The training must be adapted to the abilities and predispositions of the individual student.
In the 1st to 4th grade, the school must ensure that it adapts the training in Norwegian or Sami and mathematics, among other things, to a particularly high teacher density and is particularly aimed at pupils with weak reading and arithmetic skills. § 3-6.Spesialundervisning og pedagogisk-psykologisk teneste
Opplæringslova § 5-1 om rett til spesialundervisning, § 5-3 om sakkunnig vurdering, § 5-4 om saksbehandlinga i samband med vedtak om spesialundervisning og § 5-5 om unntak frå reglane om innhaldet i opplæringa og om kompetansekrav gjeld tilsvarande.
- 3-6. Special education and pedagogical-psychological services
The Education Act § 5-1 on the right to special education, § 5-3 on expert assessment, § 5-4 on the proceedings in connection with decisions on special education and § 5-5 on exceptions to the rules on the content of the training and on competence requirements apply accordingly.
Revision August 2018
Stortinget har vedtatt endringer i opplæringsloven og friskoleloven med virkning fra 1. august 2018. Endringene innebærer blant annet at skolene skal sørge for at elever på 1. til 4. årstrinn som står i fare for å bli hengende etter i lesing, skriving eller regning, raskt skal få tilbud om intensiv opplæring. Opplæringen kan gis som eneundervisning i en kort periode. Dette forutsetter at hensynet til elevens beste taler for det.
Amendment from August 2018: schools endeavour to ensure that students in the 1st to 4th grades who are at risk of stagnating in reading, and writing will be offered targeted provision. The training can be given as a single education for a short period of time
IB programme standards and practices (2020)
Student support 1.3: The school provides safe and effective learning spaces and learning environments. (0202-01-300)
Student support 2.1: The school implements and reviews systems and processes to identify the needs of students. (0202-02-0100)
Student support 2.2: The school supports the identified needs of students, and evidences this support through planning, policy, and practice. (0202-02-200).
Student support 2.4: The school demonstrates a commitment to make the most effective use of learning spaces and learning environments in ways that meet the needs of all students. (0202-02-0400)
Student support 3.1: The school identifies and allocates espaces and resources to support the social, emotional, and physical well being of its students and teachers (0202-03-100)
Student support 3.2: The school demonstrates in its systems, processes and policies attention to the social, emotional, and physical well-being of its stduents and teachers. (0202-03-0200)
Student support 3.3: The pedagogical leadership team and teachers support students’ social, emotional and physical well-being. (0202-03-0300)
Student support 5.1: The school identifies and uses a variety of human, virtual and physical resources in the wider community that aid and extend student learning. (0202-05-0100)
Culture 1.2: The school provides relevant support materials, resources and structures to promote access to the school’s programme(s) for as many students as reasonable. (0301-01-0200)
Culture 2.1: The school implements and reviews an inclusion policy that meets IB guidelines. (0301-02-0100)
Culture 2.2: The school identifies in its inclusion policy all of its legal requirements and outlines the school’s structures and processes for compliance. (0301-02-0200)
Culture 2.3: The school describes in its inclusion policy the rights and responsibilities of all members of the school community and clearly states the school’s vision for implementing inclusive programmes. (0301-02-0300)
iii) Psychosocial Environment (Psykososialt Miljø)
“Alle elevar i grunnskolar og vidaregåande skolar har rett til eit godt fysisk og psykososialt miljø som fremjar helse, trivsel og læring.” opplæringsloven kapittel 9a
Translation
“All pupils in primary schools and upper secondary schools are entitled to a good physical and psychosocial environment that promotes health, well-being and learning.”
In Norway, schools are required to have a yearly plan addressing these entitlements to ensure all students feel included. We have clear guidelines on how we support this mandate in our Psykososiale Miljø Strategy.
iiii) Accommodation and Identification of learning differences
- a) Students with higher attainment in different areas
Students who may be working above or significantly beyond the academic expectations for their age are supported and encouraged to stretch themselves so learning continues to be challenging and motivating. In addition to quality first teaching that attempts to accommodate the academic needs of all children, there are other ways in which the IB framework also caters for such children. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Inquiry based learning approach
- A PYP framework that focuses on phases as opposed to age
- An MYP framework that has a skills framework in addition to subject expectations
- Extended Maths as part of the MYP curriculum.
AIS aims to support students who present talents in areas such as the arts and sports, by ensuring that accommodations are made whenever possible and as long as the student’s academic progress is not being affected by additional programmes they may be partaking in.
- b) Students with learning differences requiring additional support
The identification of learning differences and barriers to learning is built into our overall approach to monitoring the progress and development of all students. This allows us to identify students who are making less-than-expected progress at an early stage. Inadequate progress might be that which:
- is significantly lesser than that of their peers starting at the same baseline
- fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
- fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- widens the attainment gap
Early Identification, evidence, progress check & Interventions 2018 (revised September 2023)
| English | Interventions Norwegian | Interventions |
| Grade 1 Phonics Tests
Grade 1 Summative Assessment/Language Strand Grade 2 Reading levels/Phonics Tests Grade 2 Summative Assessment/Language Strand Grade 3 New Group Reading Test (A) Grade 3 Summative Assessment/Language Strand Grade 4 Summative Assessment/Language Strand Grade 5 Nasjonal Prøver Grade 5 Summative Assessment/Language Strand Grade 6 New Group Reading Test (C) Additional: ● New Group Reading Test B ● The Irregular/Sight Word Test |
In class assistant support:
Grade 1 Kartlegging ● G1 – 100% (approx) Grade 2 Kartlegging ● G2 -30 % (approx) Grade 2 100 High ● G3 – 30% (approx) Frequency Word Test Quality first teaching Grade 3 Kartlegging Phonics group Grade 4 500 High EAL support group Frequency Word Test Guided reading sessions all Grade 5 Nasjonal Prøver have an assistant Spelling Tests Additional: ● Carlsten ● LOGOS |
In class assistant support: ● G1 – 100% (approx) ● G2 – 75% (approx)
● G3 – 50% (approx) ● G4 – 50% (approx) ● G5 – 50% (approx) Catch up sessions (20 minutes) *2 weekly |
| ● Lexercise Screener ● Diagnostic Spelling Test
● GL Dyslexia Screener |
School based support
We recognise that a range of factors may impact a student’s progress for a period of time, including having English as an additional language, attendance and punctuality, family circumstances or mental health. It is the responsibility of the class teacher to identify areas of needs and implement strategies to reduce potential barriers to learning. This may include (but are not limited to) universal design for learning, appropriate differentiation of learning tasks, adaptations to the curriculum and learning environment, provision of additional practical or visual resources and time-limited interventions. AIS is a dyslexia friendly school, which means that teaching methods and learning environments are specifically catered to support students with dyslexia and as a result, all our students benefit from good practice.
Procedure
Where progress continues to be less than expected, the Homeroom Teacher will collaborate with the SEN Coordinator and any other members of staff working closely with the student in order to establish a clear picture of the student’s learning needs and potential barriers to learning. The homeroom teacher will recommend to parents that the child take a hearing test (conducted by the school nurse) and a sight test (conducted by the child’s doctor or an optician). The Homeroom teacher is then required to submit the Recording Sheet for Suspected Special Educational Needs to the Administration. If the student’s progress continues to be a concern after an agreed period of time where strategies are implemented and monitored, the Homeroom teacher will complete the application form for the appropriate kommune with the support of the SENCo and submit to the Educational/Psychology Advisory Service (PPT) .
The PPT of the home kommune (that is where the student resides) will then undertake a professional evaluation. The report will be largely based on conversations with the child/parents/school, observations, tests and other examinations in order to evaluate the student’’s development and requirements for learning. In the event of a report being considered necessary, this will be prepared by the PPT and contain: background information, a description of the child in a learning situation, an evaluation of the child’s requirements regarding learning, the advantages gained from the ordinary educational programme, how a special programme for the child will vary from the ordinary programme, objectives and measures in learning.
The report written by PPT is sent to the appropriate department in the home kommune, which then writes a ‘vedtak’, approving special education for the student. The parents have a right to comment before the resolution is finalised and considerable weight shall be attached to their opinion. A reason shall be given for any refusal to implement special education. An individual resolution may be appealed. Any appeal must be sent to the school which has made the resolution. If the school does not reverse its decision or meet the requirements of those making the appeal, the matter is forwarded to the Municipal Appeals Board who may then send it further to the County Governor for Oslo and Akershus. The County Governor is the final administrative appeal body.
Once the resolution has been approved an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be drafted by the Homeroom Teacher with support from the SEN Coordinator, the parents and the student. The type of support deemed appropriate may range from in-class support, withdrawal support (individual or small group) to extra 1:1 or small group instruction in addition to regularly
timetabled classes. The student’s view on the type of support and how the support is given will also be taken into account. The homeroom teacher will carry out an interview with the student to discuss how best his or her needs can be met. This information will be recorded in the IEP. Students from the age of 15 and over must agree to receive extra support, in or outside the classroom.
All IEPs must be updated annually, and resubmitted to the administration before any stipulated deadline. In most cases, a child’s assessment by PPT is time-restricted. As such, the Homeroom Teacher will need to reapply to PPT for another assessment before the end of the initial assessments time-frame if it is felt that the student does not benefit from normal instruction and requires additional support.
Parental support
We value the input and support of parents and aim to work in partnership with parents at all stages of intervention. They are kept fully informed as to any results from testing and actions taken as a consequence. Regular contact and communication between parents/carers and homeroom teacher is expected in order to ensure the success of the support programme.
Access arrangements for students with learning difficulties
Applications for inclusive assessment arrangements for the personal project or/and e-assessment must be made by the MYP coordinator a year in advance of the assessment using the IB specific documentation. Further information can be found in the document Candidates with Assessment Access Requirements (Middle Years Programme).
If a student is undertaking an external assessment the following documents must be referred to: ● IB Access and Inclusion Policy
Alternative requirements
In some cases reasonable adjustment may occur to cater for students with additional learning needs/additional language needs. Examples include, but are not limited to: access to additional time; extensions; flexibility in method of response, tools such as coloured overlays or magnifying glass, scribe or assistive technology.
This document should also be read in conjunction with the following school documents/policies: Anti Bullying Policy
Psykososiale Miljø Strategy
Language Policy
Admissions Policy
Assessment Policy
Useful websites:
www.udir.no
www.utdanning.no,
www.vilbli.no
www.bryrmeg.no
Sources:
IB Guide to the Education Act concerning special pedagogical assistance and special education, 2009 (in Norwegian), from the Ministry
of Education, Education Act and regulations
IB Programme Standards and Practices
IB Meeting students learning diversity in the classroom.
IB Candidates with assessment access requirements.
IB Learning stories for inclusive education.
IB The IB guide to inclusive education: a resource for whole school development
IB MYP: Candidates with assessment access requirements.
IB Learning Diversity in the International Baccalaureate Programme
IB Inclusion and Access Policy