Introduction

1.1 Purpose of this Policy

This policy sets out how Providence English Private School (PEPS) identifies, plans for, and supports students who experience barriers to learning and participation, including Students of Determination (SOD), English Language Learners (ELL), and students who are More Able, Gifted or Talented (MAGT). It describes the principles, systems, roles and procedures that enable every student to access a broad, balanced and appropriately challenging education alongside their peers.

This policy should be read alongside the school's Admission Policy, Behaviour & Discipline Policy, Anti-Bullying Policy, Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, Assessment Policy and Career Education & Guidance Policy, all of which contribute to a coherent, whole-school approach to inclusion.

1.2 Scope

This policy applies to all students enrolled at PEPS, from Foundation Stage 2 (FS2) to Year 13, and to all teaching staff, learning support staff, leadership, governors, parents/carers and external partners who contribute to a student's education. It covers identification of need, provision and support, roles and responsibilities, partnership working, and the monitoring and review of inclusive practice across the school.

1.3 Our Commitment

At PEPS, we are proud to be an inclusive school catering for diverse needs and working in partnership with parents/carers at every stage in plans to meet their child's additional needs. We recognise that when a school improves provision for students who experience barriers to learning, it improves provision for all.

We seek to create a culture of inclusion within our school whereby all stakeholders collaborate to ensure that we are proactive in identifying and supporting students in an environment that enables every student to develop the skills, knowledge and values they need to become fully participating members of their community.

We believe educational inclusion is about equal opportunity for all students, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, impairment, attainment or background. Every student is an individual, and inclusive students may exhibit strengths and challenges that require accommodations and modifications so that they are able to grow and thrive within our school.

1.4 Definition of Inclusion

Inclusion at PEPS means an ongoing process of identifying and removing barriers to learning and participation, ensuring the presence, participation and achievement of all students, with particular attention to those groups of students who may be at greater risk of underachievement, marginalisation or exclusion. Inclusion is not a fixed state or a single programme; it is a continuous commitment reflected in the culture, policies and everyday practices of the whole school.

Our Vision, Beliefs and Actions

2.1 Vision Statement

2.2 Our Beliefs

• Equality of learning: we support students of all levels and needs, and believe that every student has a right to access to all facilities and to educational and non-educational programmes on the same basis as their peers.
• Every teacher is a teacher of every student, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), English Language Learners (ELL), and those who are More Able, Gifted or have exceptional Talents (MAGT).
• Inclusive teaching approaches reduce the barriers that some students experience, to the benefit of all students in the classroom.
• Early identification and timely, evidence-informed intervention give students of determination the greatest opportunity to make strong progress and build independence.
• Inclusion is most effective when it is a shared responsibility across the whole school community: leadership, teaching staff, support staff, families and students themselves.

2.3 Our Actions to Support Inclusion

• Provide access for all students to high-quality inclusive teaching and the necessary support to enable them to become successful learners.
• Design a curriculum that reflects the different cultures, religions and races represented in our school community, and which is challenging and provides enrichment for all learners.
• Ensure early and accurate identification of additional needs, so the correct support is put in place for students experiencing barriers to learning.
• Use evidence-informed intervention programmes to support students with learning difficulties, monitored for impact.
• Enable all students to learn in a common learning environment alongside their peers wherever possible and appropriate.
• Maintain systems that allow all stakeholders to work in partnership and collaborate effectively, including regular review meetings and clear channels of communication.
• Provide staff working with students the ongoing professional development and support needed to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required to meet the needs of all their students.
• Regularly evaluate the impact of inclusive provision on student outcomes, wellbeing and engagement, and adjust practice accordingly.

Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy is written and reviewed with reference to UAE federal legislation and the guidance issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the relevant regulatory authority for private schools in Sharjah (SPEA), including the UAE School Inspection Framework and the UAE Unified Categorisation Framework for Students of Determination.

Full references to the specific legislation, national policies and international conventions underpinning this policy are provided in Appendix B: Legislative and Regulatory Framework References.

Key definitions used throughout this policy include:

Student of Determination

A Student of Determination (SOD) is a student who is experiencing a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with various barriers, restricts the student's full and effective participation in education on an equal basis with peers of the same age.

Special Educational Need

The UAE School Inspection Framework defines a Special Educational Need as “educational needs that are different from those of the majority of students, and which arise from the impact of a disability or a recognised disorder.”

Discrimination

UAE Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 defines discrimination as any segregation, exclusion or restriction due to special needs leading to the damage or denial of recognition of any rights granted by the prevailing legislation of the country, or its practice or enjoyment, on an equal footing.

Provision for Students of Determination

4.1 Identification of Need

Identification of SEND may occur prior to a student's enrolment at PEPS, or at any point during their time at the school.

Identification Prior to Enrolment

Where a need has already been identified prior to enrolment, parents should provide all relevant documentation, including any diagnostic or specialist reports, as part of the School Admission Application Form. This documentation is reviewed by the Inclusion Support Team to ensure clear identification of the case and to agree clear next steps for both school and parents before, or shortly after, the student joins PEPS.

Identification During Enrolment

The school uses a range of internal and external assessments to monitor and track the progress of all students. These are analysed in coordination with teacher observations and assessments to identify students who may be experiencing barriers to learning. Where a possible need is identified, a Recording Concern form (Appendix C) is completed by the referring member of staff, and further investigation is carried out by the Inclusion Support Team in conjunction with teachers, families and external specialists (where required) to accurately categorise the need and the specific barriers to learning.

Identified students are included on the school's Registration Office record as Students of Determination (SODs), so that provision can be monitored and reviewed effectively. Some students without a formal diagnosis may be recorded on the register while their response to intervention is monitored, to establish whether their needs can be addressed through short-term intervention strategies and in-class modifications, or whether longer-term, more specialist support is required.

Indicative Timeline for Identification

These timescales are indicative and may be adjusted where a student requires urgent support, or where external specialist assessment introduces unavoidable delay.

4.2 Categories of Need

The school uses the UAE Unified Categorisation Framework for Students of Determination (2019–2020) to inform planning for provision. This framework groups categories of disability under four broad areas of common barriers to learning:

This categorisation is used as a planning tool to inform the type of specialist input, resources and staff expertise likely to be required; it is not used to label or limit a student, and a student's category of need is kept under regular review as understanding of their profile develops.

4.3 Levels of Provision

The school adopts a graduated, three-level approach to identification and provision. Provision is matched to need and is regularly reviewed; a student may move between levels as their needs and progress change.

Level 1 — High-Quality Inclusive Teaching

High-quality teaching where teachers accommodate individual differences in ability, learning style and behaviour, through inclusive classroom practice. This is the entitlement of every student at PEPS and the foundation on which all further levels of provision are built.

Level 2 — Personalised Support and Curriculum Modification

Personal support and/or curriculum modification to enable students with identified needs to engage with, and participate in, appropriately challenging learning experiences and achieve within age-related expectations. This will normally take place within the common learning environment, but may include short-term, time-limited intervention programmes.

Level 3 — Individualised Programmes

Individualised programmes designed for students who have been identified with physical, mental, intellectual or sensory barriers that are preventing them from achieving age-related expectations and/or reaching their potential. This provision is 'additional to' or 'different from' the provision required to meet the needs of most students within the school. It is likely to include specialist approaches, intervention and/or support services, and may include the support of an additional adult within the classroom — a Learning Support Assistant (LSA).

4.4 The Graduated Approach

PEPS follows the nationally recognised four-part cycle of Assess, Plan, Do, Review to ensure that support for each Student of Determination is well matched to need and continually refined.

This cycle is continuously monitored, revisited, refined and revised. Over time, it leads to a growing understanding of a student's needs and ensures that the provision in place remains the most appropriate for securing progress and moving the student towards independence in learning.

4.5 Individual Education Plans (IEPs)

Once a student has been identified as a Student of Determination requiring Level 2 or Level 3 provision, a personalised Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed to support them. A template of the IEP used at PEPS is provided in Appendix D.

The IEP includes:

• A profile outlining the student's personal strengths and the barriers they experience.
• Guidance for teachers on how to reduce identified barriers to learning effectively within everyday classroom practice.
• Specific, measurable short-term targets designed to address the next steps in learning or towards greater independence, where appropriate to the student's plan.
• The strategies and resources to be used, and the staff responsible for each target.
• A record of whether each target has been achieved, to inform the next review.

IEPs are developed collaboratively between the Inclusion Support Team, the class/subject teacher(s), the family and, wherever appropriate, the student. IEPs are formally reviewed at least three times a year, and more often where a student's needs or circumstances change.

4.6 Exiting from the Support Programme

As part of the review cycle, the current needs of the student are regularly revisited. The level of provision may be increased, decreased or maintained depending on the student's progress.

Where a student has made significant progress and is able to access the curriculum independently, they may be exited from the formal support programme. They continue to be monitored at Level 1 for at least one further assessment cycle, to ensure that progress is maintained without additional support.

Where a student continues to struggle to access the curriculum despite the highest level of support being in place, the school will consider, in partnership with the family, whether the current setting remains the most appropriate provision to meet the student's individual needs. In these circumstances, the school will support the student and family in identifying alternative provision that is better able to meet the student's particular needs.

4.7 Transition Planning

Transitions — whether into PEPS, between year groups or key stages, between school buildings, or on to further education, training or employment — can be a particularly vulnerable time for Students of Determination. The Inclusion Support Team works with families, receiving/sending teachers and, where relevant, external specialists to plan transitions carefully, which may include:

• A transition meeting between current and future teachers to share strategies, resources and IEP targets.
• Additional visits to a new classroom, building or setting ahead of the transition.
• A one-page profile or transition passport summarising the student's strengths, needs and effective strategies.
• For transitions to further education or employment (Years 11–13), collaboration with the Career Education & Guidance Policy to ensure appropriate pathway planning and, where needed, access arrangements information is shared with receiving institutions.

Curriculum Access, Teaching and Assessment

5.1 Differentiation and Universal Design for Learning

Teachers at PEPS plan lessons using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression so that the curriculum is accessible to the widest possible range of learners from the outset, reducing the need for later, more intrusive adaptation. Where a student's IEP identifies specific strategies, these are embedded into planning for that student across all relevant subjects.

5.2 Access Arrangements and Assessment Accommodations

Where appropriate and evidenced by a student's profile of need, reasonable access arrangements are made for internal and external assessments, which may include extra time, rest breaks, a reader or scribe, use of assistive technology, a separate room, or modified papers. Access arrangements for external examinations (e.g. Cambridge Checkpoint, IGCSE, AS and A Level) are agreed in line with the requirements and deadlines of the relevant examination board, and applications are coordinated by the Inclusion Support Team together with the Examinations Officer.

5.3 More Able, Gifted and Talented (MAGT) Students

Inclusion at PEPS also means stretching and challenging students who are More Able, Gifted or Talented (MAGT), whether academically, creatively, in sport, or in another domain. Class and subject teachers are responsible for identifying MAGT students through classroom performance, assessment data and, where relevant, external achievement, and for planning enrichment, extension and appropriately challenging tasks. Where appropriate, MAGT students may also access accelerated pathways, additional responsibilities (e.g. peer mentoring, leadership roles), or enrichment through extracurricular clubs and competitions.

5.4 English Language Learners (ELL) / EAL

Students who are learning English as an additional language receive support coordinated by the school's EAL lead, which may include in-class support, small-group intervention, or a bespoke EAL curriculum, depending on the student's level of English proficiency. EAL support is monitored and adjusted as a student's English proficiency develops, with the aim of full, independent access to the mainstream curriculum.

Roles and Responsibilities

All stakeholders are responsible for supporting the needs of all students. For our Students of Determination, we adopt a Team Around the Child (TAC) approach to ensure effective collaboration and coordination between everyone involved in the individual support programmes for our students.

6.1 Students of Determination and Families

At the heart of all of our work is the student. We seek to fully involve our Students of Determination and their families in identifying and seeking solutions to address their own barriers to learning. As students get older, they are encouraged to take on more responsibility, to formally contribute to their Individual Education Plans, and to take an active role in target setting wherever possible. We believe that student voice, a personal understanding of one's own strengths and challenges, and the confidence to self-advocate, are essential independence skills that will be necessary in adult life.

6.2 Class and Subject Teachers

Classroom teachers are responsible for the learning, progress and outcomes of all students in their classroom. In addition, they are expected to:

• Ensure inclusive practice through effective differentiation.
• Be the first to identify learning needs and raise a concern where appropriate.
• Provide a safe environment where students are motivated to learn.
• Remain open to continuous self-development to enhance their inclusive teaching competencies.
• Work collaboratively with the Inclusion Support Team for the best outcomes for every student.
• Implement and record progress against IEP targets for students in their classes.

6.3 Learning Support Assistants (LSAs)

Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) at PEPS play an important role in enabling students to move towards independence while being supported to access learning in the mainstream classroom. Their role is to work in collaboration with classroom teachers so that Students of Determination can be successfully included in the mainstream classroom, while at the same time developing the skills needed to access learning independently. The main responsibilities of an LSA are to:

• Act as a role model, coach and mentor, supporting teachers in embedding inclusive strategies.
• Assess, monitor and record the progress of support for students who require additional assistance.
• Take a lead role in fostering collaboration between specialists, and promote differentiation through the sharing of practice and resources.
• Support students to develop increasing independence, gradually reducing the level of adult support as appropriate.

6.4 Head of Inclusion (Inclusion Champion)

As Inclusion Champion, the Head of Inclusion leads on promoting and establishing an inclusive ethos throughout the school. This involves communicating a clear vision of inclusion and working with all stakeholders to turn this vision into practice, and supporting teaching staff to develop their own professional expertise so that inclusive approaches to education are embedded in everyday classroom practice. Responsibilities include:

• Coordinating a school-wide review to identify areas of best practice and areas requiring targeted improvement.
• Monitoring and supporting all teachers to remove barriers to learning, and developing approaches so that every student can be successful.
• Coordinating with the Executive Leadership Team to develop and implement a comprehensive, strategic Inclusive Education Improvement Plan (IEIP).
• Promoting ideas that support the development of inclusive attitudes and approaches across the school.
• Providing guidance to different stakeholders on inclusive practice and provision.
• Supporting other members of the Inclusion Team and teaching staff in embedding inclusive classrooms.
• Developing positive relationships with the wider school community, including the parent body, and building inclusive networks.
• Working with the Executive Leadership Team to coordinate a programme of continued professional development for all staff, at all levels, across the school.

6.5 Head of School / Principal

The Principal is responsible for communicating the vision of inclusion and ensuring that best practice in inclusive teaching and learning is embedded across the entire school community. The Principal is responsible for developing and monitoring the implementation of the Inclusive Education Improvement Plan, in coordination with the Inclusion Support Team, and for ensuring that recruitment, induction and whole-school professional development prioritise successful inclusive practice.

6.6 School Counsellor

• Responsible for developing and leading the implementation of personal development programmes.
• Supports the individual development of all students within the school, through collaboration with other relevant stakeholders and by maintaining documentation of the process.

6.7 The Inclusion Support Team

The Inclusion Support Team brings together the following roles, coordinated by the Head of Inclusion:

The Inclusion Support Team is responsible for:

• Collaborating with class teachers and other education staff, providing coaching and support.
• Meeting regularly to review cases, provision and outcomes.
• Maintaining minutes of meetings and ensuring effective follow-up on agreed actions.
• Assigning Learning Support Assistants to students and classes according to need.
• Developing and maintaining partnerships with outside agencies.
• Engaging in continuous professional development relevant to inclusive practice.

Inclusive Partnerships

7.1 Parents as Partners

The school recognises the importance of involving parents in all aspects of their child's educational journey. For Students of Determination, the role of the parent is seen as especially important, and the school will endeavour to ensure that parents are fully involved in decision-making and provision. This includes establishing a shared vision and a clear focus on desired outcomes at each review point, with increasing participation of the student as they become more able to self-advocate.

Parents can expect to be:

• Consulted before their child is placed on the SOD register, other than where an urgent safeguarding or welfare concern requires immediate action.
• Invited to contribute to, and to review, their child's Individual Education Plan at least three times a year.
• Kept informed of any change in the level of provision, category of need, or exit from the support programme.
• Signposted to relevant external agencies and support services where appropriate.

7.2 External Agencies and Specialists

We view effective partnerships with specialist service providers as essential to ensuring that our Students of Determination receive the support they require. We work to ensure that our students have access to the specialist services they need by building close, collaborative partnerships with trusted providers, which may include educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and other allied health or specialist education professionals.

7.3 Memoranda of Understanding

Partnerships with external agencies are governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that clearly sets out the working relationship between the provider, the school and parents, including confidentiality, information-sharing, and the respective responsibilities of each party.

Admissions and Inclusion

PEPS operates an inclusive admissions process consistent with its Admission Policy. Prospective families are asked to disclose, at the point of application, any existing diagnosis, assessment or additional need, so that the school can consider what reasonable provision may be required and can begin planning ahead of the student's start date.

Where a school place is offered to a Student of Determination, an initial meeting is arranged with the Inclusion Support Team, prior to or shortly after enrolment, to review any existing reports, agree an initial level of provision, and identify any resourcing, staffing or training needs. The school will be transparent with families about the support it is realistically able to provide, and where a student's needs are judged to fall outside of the school's current capacity, the school will work with the family to identify a more suitable setting.

Behaviour, Safeguarding and Inclusion

The school's Behaviour & Discipline Policy applies to all students, including Students of Determination. Where a student's behaviour is linked to their identified need, the Inclusion Support Team is consulted before sanctions are applied, so that any response takes proper account of the student's profile and is proportionate, fair and, wherever possible, restorative rather than purely punitive.

Where a Student of Determination is also the subject of a safeguarding concern, this policy operates alongside, and does not replace, the school's Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy, which takes precedence in any conflict between the two.

Confidentiality and Data Protection

Information relating to a student's additional needs, diagnosis, or assessment is sensitive personal data. The school collects, stores and shares this information only for the purpose of planning and delivering appropriate support, and in line with applicable UAE data protection requirements.

• Information is shared with staff on a need-to-know basis, sufficient for them to support the student effectively.
• Written parental consent is sought before information is shared with external agencies, other than where the law requires disclosure or where there is a safeguarding concern.
• Records (including IEPs, specialist reports and Recording Concern forms) are stored securely, in either the student's confidential file or a secure electronic system with restricted access.
• Parents may request access to their own child's records in line with the school's data protection arrangements.

Staff Training and Professional Development

High-quality inclusive practice depends on a confident, well-trained staff body. PEPS is committed to:

• An annual programme of whole-staff training on inclusive teaching strategies, differentiation and the identification of barriers to learning, coordinated by the Head of Inclusion.
• Induction training for all new staff on the school's approach to inclusion, the Graduated Approach, and their responsibilities under this policy.
• Targeted training for staff working closely with students who have a specific diagnosis or need, delivered by the Inclusion Support Team or external specialists where appropriate.
• Opportunities for Learning Support Assistants to access specialist external training and professional qualifications relevant to their role.
• Sharing of effective practice between staff, coordinated by the Head of Inclusion, so that successful strategies are not confined to a single classroom.

Complaints Related to Inclusive Provision

Where a parent has a concern or complaint about the inclusive provision made for their child, they are encouraged to raise it in the first instance with the class/subject teacher or directly with the Head of Inclusion, so that it can be addressed as quickly as possible.

Where a concern cannot be resolved informally, it is handled in line with the Complaint Procedure set out in the school's Student & Parent Handbook and Family Partnership arrangements, with the Head of Inclusion and, where necessary, the Principal involved in reaching and communicating a decision.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Review of this Policy

The impact of this policy and the provision it describes is monitored through:

• Termly review of individual student progress against IEP targets.
• Analysis of assessment and progress-tracking data for Students of Determination, EAL students and MAGT students, compared with whole-school trends.
• Regular Inclusion Support Team meetings, with minutes and follow-up actions recorded.
• An annual report from the Head of Inclusion to the Principal, summarising outcomes, areas of strength, and priorities for the Inclusive Education Improvement Plan (IEIP).

This policy is reviewed annually by the Head of Inclusion, in consultation with the Inclusion Support Team and the Senior Leadership Team, and is approved by the Principal on behalf of the Governing Body. It will also be reviewed sooner than scheduled if there is a significant change in UAE legislation, MOE/SPEA guidance, or the needs of the school community.

Glossary of Terms

Legislative and Regulatory Framework References

This policy is based on UAE Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 and its 2009 amendment, which guarantee a Student of Determination access to equal opportunities of education, and on the following guidance and legislation:

Note: web addresses are provided for reference and should be verified periodically, as government portals are restructured from time to time.

Recording a Concern Form

To be completed by any member of staff, parent, or specialist who wishes to raise an initial concern about a student's learning, communication, social/emotional wellbeing, or physical/sensory needs. Once completed, this form should be passed to the Inclusion Support Team.

Nature of Concern

(Attach or note relevant information, e.g. current attainment, samples of work, observations)

Class-Based Intervention Already Tried

(Note target(s), resources used, staff involved, frequency)

Individual Education Plan (IEP) Template

Reason for IEP

Specialist Report Received: ________________________________

Additional Information

Targets

Parental Comments

Transition Plan Template

Levels of Provision — Summary