Planning for Special Needs Students as Part of School Development Planning Regional Seminar School Development Planning Initiative

Purpose of School Planning The fundamental purpose of School Development Planning is to ensure that all students experience a quality education appropriate to their needs in a changing world. Its key focus is the enhancement of student learning. (SDP Draft Guidelines Unit 9)

PROGRAMME  Special Needs – Links with whole school planning  First steps in planning for Special Needs  Inclusion  Special Needs Categories  The Legislative Background  Workshop – organising a special needs planning session in the school  Developing a Special Needs policy

Key Questions  How do you put Special Needs on the planning agenda?  How do you promote effective strategies for teaching students with special educational needs at second level?  How do you develop a policy on special needs?

The School Plan: Two Parts Part 1: Relatively Permanent Features School’s mission, vision, aims School profile School policies, curricular & non-curricular School practices re review & evaluation Part 2: Development Section Factors governing development needs List of school’s development priorities Set of Action Plans to address priorities

School Improvement – SDP Process

Desired Outcome of SDP School Improvement

Government policy Human rights Belief in equality Parental rights Lack of resources Desire to help Lack of knowledge Concern for majority Feeling put upon Lack of time

How do you put special needs on the planning agenda?  May emerge as a priority during school review  Board of Management may wish to respond to recent legislation  Differentiation may arise as an issue in subject department planning  Subject inspection may highlight the need to plan for students with special needs within ordinary classes

Mission Statement

“Special needs students should attend a special school” “Inclusion of students with special needs is government policy” “The school is here to serve all students whether or not they have special needs.” “ Special needs students are the Learning Support Teacher’s responsibility.” “I teach honours classes. I don’t have any special needs students” “Adaptable, well- prepared teaching is all that is required to teach my child.” “Adaptable, well- prepared teaching is all that is required to teach my child.”

What can you do to advance planning for special needs?  Acknowledge the challenge that this poses for subject teachers  Identify current best practice in the school  Raise awareness and provide information  Explore legislation and the implications for schools  Explore strategies that can be used by subject teachers  Encourage teachers to plan at subject department level  Establish a task group to develop a whole school policy  Ensure that the school has a staff member trained in learning support/resource

Identify Existing Good Practice  Explore the school’s tradition of support for students with special educational needs  Existence of Learning Support teacher/ Resource teacher  Number of resource hours available  Number of students who receive individual support (small group + individual)  Financial support from the BOM +Parents Association  Facilities for Learning Support  Record of acquiring Special Consideration in State Exams  Links with NEPS psychologist  Links with Primary Schools  Exam results for students with special needs  Pastoral Support/Counselling

Raise Awareness and Provide Information on…  Integration V Inclusion  Categories of Special Needs  Legislative Context  Strategies for effective teaching  Resources

Integration Inclusion Supporting the child so that s/he can take part in the unchanged programmes and environment Student adapts to suit the school: A willingness to restructure their programmes and environments in response to the diverse needs of the pupils who attend School adapts to suit the student (McCauley ‘04)

Inclusion What is it? Inclusive education means all children and young people with and without disabilities or other special needs, learning together in ordinary mainstream schools, with appropriate networks of support. (Profexcel, 2001)

Inclusion Inclusion may take different forms:  Full-time placement in mainstream class  Placement in mainstream class with learning support/resource services  Part-time placement in special class and part- time in mainstream  Full-time placement in a special class in a mainstream school (Profexcel, 2001)

Categories of Special Needs 1  Physical disability  Hearing impairment  Visual impairment  Emotional or behaviour disorder e.g ADD/ ADHD

Categories of Special Needs 2 General Learning Disability (Average IQ = 100)  Borderline Mild GLD IQ  Mild GLD IQ  Moderate GLD IQ  Severe/profound GLDIQ >35 Specific Learning Disability IQ average but 2%

Categories of Special Needs 3  Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorder Including Asperger Syndrome  Assessed Syndromes  Specific Speech /Language Disorder

The Legislative Background Inclusion and equity are the values driving Irish social policy, including educational legislation

Legislative Context Education Act 1998 Section 9:  A recognised school shall provide education to students which is appropriate to their abilities and needs … it shall as far as resources permit  ensure that the educational needs of all students, including those with special needs, are identified and provided for.  Establish and maintain an admissions policy which provides for maximum accessibility Section 15 The BOM shall publish… the policy of the school concerning admission to and participation in the school and ensure that… principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents’ choice are respected

Legislative Context Equal Status Act 2000 Identifies the school as a service provider The school cannot discriminate on the grounds of disability (one of nine grounds) This refers not only to admission but also to access to any course, facility or benefit provided

Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 Key Principles Special Needs students have same rights as their peers School should be an inclusive environment Greater involvement of parents National Council for Special Education

Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs 2004 Special needs child shall be educated in an inclusive environment Exceptions:  The best interests of the child as determined in accordance with any assessment carried out under this Act, or  The effective provision of education for children with whom the child is to be educated

Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 The Bill lays down clear procedures for  Arrangements for the referral by the school of a student for assessment  Involvement of the parents and the special needs organiser  Preparation of an individual educational plan  Provision of services to a child to enable him or her to participate in and benefit from education

Planning for Inclusion  Recognition of Individual and collective responsibility  Planning needed at every level for inclusion  Individual subject teacher  Subject Department Level  Whole school Level  Parental and student involvement  Development of policy  Policy areas which need to take cognisance of students with special needs: Curriculum, Assessment, Homework, Transition from Primary, Staff Development, Sports Policy, Field Trips/School Tours

3 Possible Workshops to Use:  Exploration of strategies and structures for communication  Whole school response to special needs  Subject teacher’s response to special needs

Workshop on Developing Strategies for Effective Communication  What are the current procedures for gathering information on students with special educational needs?  Who should have access to information re. individual students?  What structures should be in place to allow this to happen?  How should links with parents be established and maintained?

Whole School Response to Students with Special Educational Needs  What is your school currently doing to support students with special needs?  What strategies could be developed to enhance current provision?  What structures are needed to support these?

Subject Teacher’s Response to Inclusion of Special Needs Students  Think of a special needs student whom you have taught. How did you support his/her learning?  What can you as an individual subject teacher do to facilitate inclusion of students with special needs in your classroom?  What can be done at subject department level?  What can the school do to support you in this process?

Developing a Special Needs Policy Some Signposts  State the purpose  Link to Mission/ethos  Rationale  Legal Context  Definition of Special Needs  Aims  Objectives  Strategy for Identification of students with Special Needs  Learning Support currently available  Selection of students for learning support/resource  Roles: BOM, Principal/ D.P/subject teacher/ Learning Support/ Resource teacher/SENO  Communication with parents  Provision for staff development  Record Keeping  Strategies for Monitoring and Evaluation  Consultation and appeals procedures  Developmental priority  Links to other policies

General Principles Re. Policy Development  Comply with legislation  Align policy and core values  Consider how the policy impacts on teaching and learning  Consult stakeholders (Whatever group can be affected by the policy, they, or a representative group, should be consulted about it)  Identify and state the reasons for the policy  A policy is a guide to practice and is drafted to be implemented.  The language used should be understandable to those who read it  Don’t just import a policy from another school. Use samples as a guide to the process of developing your own policy  Publicise to all concerned stakeholders. Policy documents must be adopted formally by a BOM  Review and evaluate regularly

Whole School Supports Needed  Trained personnel + on-going staff development  Coordinated approach at subject department level  Time needed to facilitate a collaborative process  Key person should be nominated to coordinate and monitor the process  Procedures re. development of IEPs  Procedures re. communication of information among partners  On-going evaluation important  Development of whole school policy

Courses Higher Diploma in Special Educational Needs Provided by UCD CICE St Angela’s Sligo UL One year full time courses, supported by the DES (i.e. paid substitution; subsistence and travel allowances) The year is divided into 12 weeks university based and remainder is school based Masters in SEN in UCD (part time, self funded)