Learning Support

• To support students to access and engage independently with all areas of the curriculum at their Year level;
• To provide ELS session for across necessary classes and groups, to enable students to make progress;
• To create lines of communication, collaboration and support between all stakeholders: student, parents, teachers;
• To ensure students feel valued and thrive in a school culture which may be foreign to them so that they appreciate their cultural uniqueness;
• To actively support and celebrate bilingualism and multiculturalism.

The school recognises that all teachers play a crucial role in providing an appropriate learning environment. This includes the provision of suitable learning materials and an effective language support approach to meet the needs of children.

The formal English Language Support provided should enable students to progress to an independent level of language ability.

The Primary aim of the ELS programme is to help students access and engage independently with all areas of the curriculum. Therefore, those requiring ELS classes will remain on the ELS register and receive support until they reach an independent level of language ability.

An additional fee is required from students who are in the ‘Beginning’ and ‘Emerging Stages’ of language development.

We believe that younger children learn English best through immersion, therefore, there is no formal ELS for students in Kindergarten to Year 1. Students are taught in English by exposure to language-rich input throughout the day, with lots of opportunities to interact in English with teachers and peers.

In Kindergarten, students are supported to develop skills in early language and literacy through play-based learning. In Year 1, students continue to participate in play-based learning along with an introduction to formal reading and writing instruction.

ELS sessions in Primary School are provided in the form of regular “pull out, push in” sessions, in addition to differentiated lessons. Pull-out is when one student, or a small group of students with similar needs, is taken out of mainstream lessons to work with a specialist English language support teacher. The pull-out model is the most effective when working with students whose English proficiency is at the Beginning or Emerging stage of development. 

In contrast, the push-in model is when a specialist English language support teacher works in the mainstream classroom with one student, or a small group of students. In both models, joint planning between the specialist teacher and the class teacher ensures that learning objectives are met for all students, and that language needs, individual learning styles, and other individual requirements, are taken into consideration when differentiating instruction.

The pull-out model enables smaller groups of students to have additional English-targeted lessons, which is essential for students who are working towards the independent stage of language proficiency. Some students may be on a reduced curriculum during this non-mainstream contact time. In-class language support by subject teachers is also provided through vocabulary assistance, assessment/task scaffolding and modifications.

Students in Years 10 and 11 will be placed in programmes of study appropriate to their English language level.

All ELS students in Years 7 to 11 will be enrolled in additional writing classes that take place either before or after school. Academic writing classes develop an understanding of different writing genres and support students in using correct writing forms appropriate to the demands of the writing context.

The specialist ELS teacher works collaboratively with subject teachers to track and monitor the progress of students receiving ELS. Teachers, when required, will also work closely with parents to ensure their child’s ELS needs are met.

Primary academic reports, written by the homeroom teacher, in collaboration with the ELS teacher, will include information regarding diagnostic and academic assessments conducted throughout the semester. Tests evaluate the areas of reading, spelling, writing and vocabulary. Primary students receiving English Language Support sessions will take modified summative assessments.

Secondary academic reports are issued at the end of Semester 1 and Semester 2. Students receiving English Language Support in Years 7 to 9 take modified assessments and are provided with appropriate examination accommodations, as required.

• The culture, practice, management and deployment of resources at ACG School Jakarta are designed to ensure all children's needs are met.
• Schools and parents work together to ensure that any child's special educational needs are identified early.
• Schools consider best practice when developing interventions.
• The wishes of the child are considered, taking into account their age and understanding.
• Special education professionals and parents work in partnership.
• Special education professionals take into account the views of individual parents in respect of their child's particular needs.
• Interventions for each child are reviewed regularly to assess their impact, the child's progress and the views of the child, their teachers and their parents.

The international curricula at ACG School Jakarta secures access to the essential areas of learning while fostering the development of the knowledge, understanding and skills that children will need in order to become active and responsible global citizens. 

Informed and effective curriculum differentiation is the result of the school's cycle of observation, assessment, planning and review. The school aims to implement a variety of pedagogical approaches to maximise the achievement of all students. These kinds of arrangements apply to all children and are not part of special educational provision.

Careful consideration of the school's ethos and the learning environment can help prevent some special educational needs from arising and minimise others. Differentiation of learning helps ACG School Jakarta to meet the learning needs of all children. Children's learning difficulties may manifest as a result of difficulties within the child and/or a school's practices. Teachers' planning should be flexible to recognise the needs of all children as individuals and ensure progression, relevance and differentiation. Providing effective learning opportunities for all students offer three key principles for inclusion:

• setting suitable learning challenges;
• responding to student's diverse needs;
• overcoming potential learning and assessment barriers for individuals or groups of students.

The decision to accept a new student with special educational needs, or the decision to request an existing family to find an alternative educational institution for their child with special educational needs, will be made by the school Principal.

In circumstances where, during the school enrolment process, parents did not disclose their child's full history, including SEN information or previous counselling/therapies, the school reserves the right to request the family to find an alternative educational institution for their child.

At ACG School Jakarta, we take a graduated response to providing support: Classroom Initiative and School Initiative, which starts with the teacher and gathers further specialist input over time.

• Classroom Initiative occurs when a student has been identified as having an additional need which requires intervention. Intervention may include additional or different teaching material, or a different way of teaching. Further intervention could be small group booster sessions, for example, in Mathematics or Reading.
• An Educational Adjusted Programme (EAP) outlines the different or additional provision for the student, including teaching strategies and short-term goals. The EAP identifies a Performance Measurement Standard for each goal and is reviewed termly.
• School Initiative is when, despite Classroom Initiative, a student does not make expected progress. Intervention may include intensive targeted support, including one-to-one or small group support by a teaching assistant or specialist teacher. The student will continue to work on precise personal targets and timelines as outlined in the EAP.
• Parents will be requested to have their child undertake an Educational Assessment.

A student will remain on the SEN Register until they have been assessed to no longer require additional support, as they have made expected level of progress for their year group.

Due to special educational needs, some students may require special arrangements when taking an assessment or examination. In this case, the SENCO collaborates with staff to monitor student progress and, if required, will organise all the documentation to apply for Access Arrangements for CIE and Special Assessment Needs for IBDP. Special arrangements are implemented for both internal and external assessments.