INCLUSION POLICY
Introduction
This policy supports and guides schools in promoting the principles of
inclusive education in an ecosystem in which skilled professionals are
equipped with the pedagogical knowledge to meet the diversity of needs
present in schools. Through its implementation, this policy promotes a
rights-based approach to education for all students where an
understanding of equity and inclusion is instilled in all aspects of the
community as set out in Federal Law No. (29) of 2006 Concerning the
Rights of People with Disabilities and its amendments, and the School for
All: General Rules for the Provision of Special Education Programs and
Services (MOE, n.d.).
Purpose
• Define expectations of inclusive education as a fundamental right
for all students including students with additional learning needs in
schools.
• Specify admissions requirements for students with additional
learning needs.
• Ensure schools are offering standard inclusive provision in terms of
staffing, physical accessibility, and teaching and learning support.
• Outline requirements to charge additional fees to parents.
• Identify school leadership roles and responsibilities to promote
inclusive learning environments.
• Define minimum requirements for compliance and standard
provision of education for students with additional learning needs
in schools.

Definitions
Accommodations
and Modifications
to Teaching

Any adjustments to the way in which teaching takes place, including
lesson delivery and behavior management, so that it is suitable for the
needs of students with additional learning needs.

Accommodations
and Modifications
of Assessments
Any adjustments to the way assessments are conducted to enable
access, without changing the demand of the assessment.
Accommodation and modification should be aligned with the needs of
the student and any disability or impairment (e.g., screen reading
technology, extended time, scribe, and enlarged font). All
accommodations and modifications to external assessments should be
in line with guidelines of assessment providers/examination boards.
Adaptive Teaching
An approach to supporting the abilities of all students with additional
learning needs by their teachers using a range of teaching strategies,
resources, and levels of differentiation to meet the needs of all learners
in the class.
Additional Learning
Needs
Individual requirements for additional support, modifications, or
accommodations within a school setting on a permanent or temporary
basis in response to a specific context. This applies to any support
required by students of determination and those who have special
educational needs and/or additional barriers to learning, access, or
interaction in that specific context (e.g., dyslexic, hearing or visually
impaired, twice exceptional, or gifted and/or talented).
For example, a student with restricted mobility may require lesson
accommodations to participate in Physical Education and building
accommodations to access facilities but may not require any
accommodations in assessments. Equally, a student with hearing
impairment may require adaptive and assistive technology to access
content in class and may also require physical accommodations (e.g.,
sit in the front of the class to be able to lip read) to access learning.
Annual Review
A meeting that comprises of a range of relevant stakeholders
(including external specialists) to discuss progress and provision for any
students with additional learning needs who require a highly
personalized approach to learning.
Clinical
Assessment Report
A report arising from assessment of a student, conducted by a clinical
psychologist, education psychologist, speech and language
pathologist, doctor, or other suitably qualified professional.
Continuing
Professional
Development
All activities undertaken by staff to improve their knowledge, skills,
competencies, and performance on a regular basis. CPD includes in person training, online training (synchronous or asynchronous),
coursework, short certificate and degree programs, mentorship
programs, peer/ collaborative learning, academic conferences,
research projects, observational visits, and community programs to
share teaching best practices. CPD excludes planning hours and
general staff meetings.

Cycle
A stage in the primary and secondary educational process and is
classified in Abu Dhabi as the following: Kindergarten (KG), Cycle 1
(G1/Y2-G5/Y6), Cycle 2 (G6/Y7- G8/Y9), and Cycle 3 (G9/Y10-G12/Y13).
Private schools teaching UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum
may follow MoE cycles: KG, Cycle 1 (G1-G4), Cycle 2 (G5-G8), and Cycle
3 (G9-G12).
Documented
Learning Plan
A plan which outlines any personalized learning targets, modifications
to curriculum, additional support, or tools for learning which are agreed
by school staff, parents, and students (where appropriate), including
Individual Educational Plans (IEP), Individual Support Plans (ISP),
Individual Learning Plans (ILP), Behavior Support Plans (BSP), Advanced
Learning Plans (ALP), etc. This may be to address any specific identified
academic, behavioral, language, or social and emotional need.
Equitable Access
to Education
Enabling the same access to learning and educational settings for all
students through the provision of individualized accommodations and
modifications to address any barriers that inhibit this.
Gifted and
Talented
Gifted students demonstrate exceptional ability in one or more
domains. Talented students are those who can transform their
giftedness into exceptional performance.
Head of Inclusion The Senior Leader with responsibility for the coordination of provision
for students with additional learning needs.
Inclusion Assistant A non-teaching specialist member of staff who supports the
educational provision for students with additional learning needs.
Inclusive Education
An approach to education which celebrates and acknowledges
learning diversity and ensures that teaching is adapted to enable all
students to learn.
Inclusion Teacher A specialist working under the direction of the Head of Inclusion to
teach students with additional learning needs.
Inclusion Team
Led by the Head of Inclusion, this includes Inclusion Teachers, Inclusion
Assistants, Individual Assistants, and any other staff who provide
support for inclusive provision.
Individual Assistant
Formerly known as “Shadow Teachers”, Individual Assistants are
parent-funded staff who provide 1:1 support for students with
additional learning needs for any logistical, safety-related, behavioral,
medical, and/or social and emotional need. In these cases, the student
requires 1:1 support for at least 50% of their school day.
Mainstream
Education
The learning environment where all students learn alongside their peers
in an inclusive school environment.

Modified
Curriculum
Enables alternative or multiple routes for engaging in learning, including
a means of achieving educational qualifications alongside formal
schooling. This may be appropriate for some students with additional
learning needs but may not be equivalent to the qualifications obtained
through the regular curriculum.
Multilingual
Learners
Students who are acquiring the language of instruction and require
additional support to address any language barrier to access and
attainment.
Personal
Emergency
Evacuation Plan
(PEEP)
A personalized plan, for any students that require it, to support either a
short- or long-term need, which specifies the types of assistance
required to support their safe evacuation and continuous safety, from
the point of raising the alarm to exiting the school building.
Pull-out
intervention
Intervention to address any identified cognitive, behavioral, social, or
emotional need delivered by a specialist outside of the mainstream
classroom.
Push-in
intervention
Intervention to address any identified cognitive, behavioral, social, or
emotional need delivered by a specialist inside the mainstream
classroom to enable learning to continue alongside a student’s peer
group.
Specialized
Provision
Educational provision which meets individual needs of students who
require specialist attention (a blend of teaching and therapy) and
focused resource allocation due to unique learning and engagement
requirements.
Tiered Model of
Support
An approach to meeting the different needs of students which
acknowledges that most needs can be met by the teacher (Tier 1:
Universal), whilst some may require specific interventions (Tier 2:
Targeted) and a few may require a high degree of personalization and
possibly external support by specialists (Tier 3: Intensive and
Individualized). This includes models such as the Multi-Tiered System of
Supports (MTSS), Graduated Approach Model, and others.
Twice Exceptional Students who are both gifted and/or talented and have other
additional learning needs.
Universal Design
A concept that extends beyond the notion of accessibility, to include all
people by creating inclusive spaces through the presence of
integrated and mainstreamed products, environmental features, and
services.
Universal Design
for Learning
An approach to teaching and learning which promotes equitable
access to education to all students regardless of their differing needs.

Policy
1. Inclusion Policy
1.1 Inclusion Policy Requirements: Schools shall develop and implement an Inclusion
Policy that includes, at a minimum:
1. The school’s vision, mission, strategy, and targets in promoting inclusive
education.
2. Details of how the school supports the admissions process for students with
additional learning needs and their families (see Section 2. Admissions).
3. The school’s standard inclusive provision for students with additional learning
needs as per Section 3. Standard Inclusive Provision including:
a. Staffing arrangements and eligibility (see Section 3.1 Inclusion Staff
Requirements).
b. Accessibility and evacuation of the campus and learning spaces (see
Section 3.2 Physical Accessibility).
c. Inclusive teaching and learning support in pedagogy, curriculum,
assessment accommodations, and through an identification, referral,
and tracking system (see Section 3.3 Inclusive Teaching and Learning
Support).
4. Information regarding the charging of additional fees and any support
required beyond that of the school’s standard inclusive provision (see Section
4. Additional Fees).
5. Definition of the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders involved in leading
and delivering inclusive provision for students with additional learning needs
(see Section 5. Leadership).
1.2 Students: This policy is applicable to any student who may require in-school specialist
services.
2. Admissions
2.1 Admitting Students with Additional Learning Needs: In line with the principles of
Federal Law No. (29) of 2006 Concerning the Rights of People with Disabilities and its
amendments, students with additional learning needs shall, under no circumstances,
be denied a place at a preferred school, provided the school has the capacity to
admit them in the appropriate grade/year, as per the ADEK Student Administrative
Affairs Policy. Accordingly, schools’ admissions processes shall adhere to the
following:
1. Prioritizing the attendance of students with additional learning needs and
their siblings in the same school.
2. Requesting original clinical assessment reports from parents completed by
any relevant specialists such as a therapist, psychologist, or pediatrician.

3. Supporting the transition process for all students with additional learning
needs. In particular, targeted transition support shall be provided to:
a. Students starting school for the first time or coming from alternative early
education settings.
b. Students transferring from specialized provision, homeschooling, or any
other type of educational provision.
c. Students in exchange programs.
4. Providing any accommodations required by the student to complete the
assessment, if assessments are part of the school’s admissions process, and
utilizing such assessments as a means to inform the provision of learning
support as per the ADEK Student Administrative Afairs Policy. These
assessments shall not be used to deny admission to the school.
5. Using all information provided to ensure equitable and safe access to the
learning and physical environment of the school for students with additional
learning needs, making reasonable adjustments where necessary.
6. Defining what constitutes the school’s “inability to accommodate” (see
Section 2.2.).
2.2 Inability to Accommodate Notification: Where a school considers they are unable to
meet the needs of any students with additional learning needs, the school shall
submit an inability to accommodate notification to ADEK and the parents within 7
days of the admission decision being issued.
1. ADEK reserves the right to uphold or overturn an inability to accommodate
notification based on the evidence submitted by the school and from other
sources. Schools shall make reasonable adjustments and accommodations
to enable admission for all students with additional learning needs to the
school.
2.3 Re-enrollment: In line with the ADEK Student Administrative Affairs Policy, schools
shall re-enroll all students for the next academic year.
2.4 Referrals to Specialized Provision: The majority of students with additional learning
needs will attend mainstream schools along with their peers. Alternative placement
may be considered for students who meet eligibility criteria.

1. Where a school considers that a student may require a more specialized
placement, they must contact ADEK prior to conversations with parents, in
order to establish whether the student would meet the eligibility criteria for
specialist provision and to determine which, if any, type of placement would
best meet their needs.
2. In instances where a UAE National has obtained a diagnosis of severe autism
from a clinical assessment (and this is their primary need), they may only be
referred for consideration for specialized provision, if they meet all three of
the following conditions:
a. ADEK, the school, and parents agree that the student will gain greater
benefit from specialized provision than a mainstream school.
b. The student requires intensive therapy, such as occupational therapy,
speech and language therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis, which
cannot be delivered in a mainstream school.

c. The school ensures parents understand the criteria for admission to
specialized provision and consent to the school making a referral to ADEK
3. Standard Inclusive Provision
3.1 Inclusion Staff Requirements: Schools shall appoint the following inclusion positions,
as per the requirements of the ADEK Staff Eligibility Policy:
1. Head of Inclusion: Schools shall appoint at least 1 Head of Inclusion, with no
more than 10% of their timetabled workload dedicated to teaching
commitments outside of their role as Head of Inclusion and member of the
school leadership team.
a. As per the ADEK Staff Eligibility Policy, Heads of Inclusion (profile 2) who
are not former Inclusion Teachers, or who do not meet the qualification
criteria but who have at least 5 years of experience as an inclusion related Senior Leader in a school (former SENCos, Inclusion Leads, PoD
Specialists, etc.) shall demonstrate completion of 60 hours of coursework
through training provided by ADEK or other local and/or international
training providers covering topics related (but not limited) to:
• SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) pedagogies
• Identification of barriers to learning
• Strategies to support SEND
• Learning interventions and evaluation of effectiveness
• Target-setting for learning and developing IEPs
• Coordinating inclusive provision
• Resource allocation and deployment
2. Inclusion Teacher: Schools shall appoint at least 1 Inclusion Teacher per cycle,
with no more than 10% of their timetabled workload outside of their role of
teaching students with additional learning needs.
a. As per the ADEK Staff Eligibility Policy, Inclusion Teachers (profile 3) who
do not have a specialized qualification in Special Education shall
demonstrate completion of 40 hours of coursework through training
provided by ADEK or other local and/or international training providers
covering topics related (but not limited) to:
• SEND pedagogies
• Identification of barriers to learning
• Strategies to support SEND
• Effective teaching
• Target setting for learning and developing IEPs
• Planning and evaluating interventions
• Data to inform practice
3. Inclusion Assistants: Schools shall appoint Inclusion Assistants to provide
additional support to teachers for students with additional learning needs.
Inclusion Assistants work under the direction of a teacher and may provide:
a. Whole-class support where there are higher numbers of students with
additional learning needs.
b. Targeted pull-out and push-in support to small groups (and occasionally
for individual students as needed) with any additional learning needs to
enable their progress towards Documented Learning Plan (DLP) targets
(see Section 3.3.1.d).

c. Dedicated 1:1 support to a particular student, if required, as per their DLP
(see Section 3.3.1.d) and the Clinical Assessment Report.
• Schools shall conduct an annual review, at a minimum, to track
student progress and evaluate outcomes to determine whether 1:1
support should continue or be modified to maximize positive impact.
4. Individual Assistant: Where a student with additional learning needs requires
additional individualized assistance for personal care and other non-teaching
related support, schools may seek the provision of a parent-funded Individual
Assistant, which is not part of the school’s standard inclusive provision.
a. When requesting parents to engage an Individual Assistant, schools shall
provide evidence and a justification to outline the need for support for the
majority of the student’s school day.
b. The Individual Assistant shall be available outside the classroom and is
authorized to enter the classroom to provide support to the concerned
student only upon request by the teacher.
c. Schools shall maintain records on the Enterprise Student Information
System (eSIS) and Private Schools Staff Information System (PASS) to
indicate the provision of an Individual Assistant for a particular student.
3.2 Physical Accessibility
1. General Accessibility: Schools shall ensure school buildings and learning
spaces are reflective of a universal design approach and provide equitable
access to education for all students, as per the ADEK Buildings and Facilities
Policy.
a. Parking spaces, pathways, buildings, and playgrounds are accessible to
all.
b. All entry points to buildings have ramps that conform to regulatory
standards for wheelchair accessibility.
c. Stairs are equipped with handrails, contrast color bands, and tactile
indicators on the edge of each step.
d. Signage uses symbols to accompany text and considers color contrast
for ease of visibility.
e. Evacuation alarms are accompanied by flashing lights to indicate the
alarm for those with hearing impairment.
f. School buildings are accessible on the ground floor, at a minimum, to all
students.
g. Accessible bathrooms are equipped with appropriate sanitary provisions
for people with a physical disability as per the applicable codes.
h. A hoist or lift is available to enable access to the swimming pool,
operated by a trained member of staff.
i. Evacuation chairs are available to ensure safe exit from buildings in cases
of emergency where the lift is not in operation and there are people who
cannot mobilize independently down the stairs.
j. All teaching staff receive training in the safe operation of evacuation
chairs and specific members of staff have been identified to assist
students and staff requiring evacuation chairs during emergencies.
k. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP) have been developed for
each student and staff member who may require additional support or
guidance to evacuate safely for any long- or short-term needs, and that
any identified staff providing assistance for evacuation have received
relevant training.

l. Coordination with school transportation providers to enable students
with additional learning needs access to school buses making any
appropriate and approved adjustments necessary, as per the
requirements of the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC).
m. Development of a risk assessment and mitigation plan to demonstrate
how the school will manage risks stemming from already identified
accessibility-deficient areas.
n. Development of a school accessibility plan (based on the risk
assessment) to identify required adaptations to the school environment
and buildings with clear steps and timelines to improve accessibility.
o. Existing school buildings that are unable to fulfill universal design-based
accessibility requirements are authorized to seek exemption, with
justification, from ADEK. However, existing school buildings seeking to
renovate/expand are subject to the general accessibility requirements
(see Section 3.2.1).
2. Accessibility of Learning Spaces: To provide equitable access to education
and inclusive learning opportunities, schools shall ensure:
a. All classrooms are accessible for all students, with desks and chairs
providing adapted seating options for those who require it.
b. A variety of classroom resources (pens, pencils, scissors, etc.), which
offer choices regarding size and ease of use.
c. All timetabled classes are physically accessible to students with
additional learning needs, to the best extent possible.
d. Specialized teaching spaces such as science laboratories, sports
facilities, spaces for the arts, etc., are accessible to students of
different ages and lessons and such spaces offer adapted resources
to support access and integration for students with physical disability,
and/or sensory impairment.
e. Classroom acoustics and lighting are evaluated for students with
hearing and/or visual impairment to reduce any background
noise/visual disturbances that may interfere with access to learning.
f. Classrooms reflect a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach,
providing information and content in multiple ways, allowing students
to express their learning through multiple forms, and facilitating
engagement with learning through different means.
g. The teaching and learning environment incorporates
accommodations and modifications to teaching to enable fair access
to the curriculum and the school facilities.
3. Specialist Support Spaces: In order to provide specialist pull-out intervention
or targeted support for any student with additional learning needs as per the
ADEK In-School Specialist Services Policy, schools shall:
a. Provide accommodations for each cycle (dedicated spaces within the
school premises for the duration of interventions) to allow specialist
learning support and pull-out interventions for any student with
additional learning needs.
b. Evaluate the specialist support space on acoustics, lighting, flooring,
and textiles to promote access to learning through consideration of
sensory needs.
c. Avail a specialist support space that has technological and digital
resources that mirror those of other classrooms to support the
development of digital literacy skills.

d. Avail a range of non-digital teaching and learning resources to allow
specialists to deliver interventions as part of the DLP (see Section
3.3.1.d).
3.3 Inclusive Teaching and Learning Support
1. Identification, Referral, and Tracking System: Schools shall develop a robust
identification, referral, and tracking system which:
a. Outlines how teachers or other staff can raise a concern about any
aspect of a student’s academic, social, emotional, physical,
behavioral, or developmental needs.
b. Integrates the input of the student (as appropriate), parents, and staff
members.
c. Identifies the needs of the student (e.g., via assessments such as
standardized screening tools overseen by the Head of Inclusion),
appropriate measures to improve their learning, and identifies any
student who would benefit from a further assessment of needs.
d. Enables the development of a DLP that plans, monitors, assesses, and
evaluates teaching and learning programs that are personalized for
the student. Schools shall incorporate information provided through
any internal and external assessments and ensure the information is
shared with staff to identify students who may require emotional,
social, or behavioral support, or where risks are apparent.
e. Establishes ongoing communication with parents regarding the
student’s additional learning needs, providing information (in their
native language where possible) on how support can be provided in
the home setting.
f. Records the details of students with additional learning needs on eSIS,
as required by ADEK.
g. Tracks the progress of students with additional learning needs by:
• Using a Tiered Model of Support to reflect the level of support
provided to students with additional learning needs.
• Developing a DLP for all students with additional learning needs
receiving at least Tier 2 and Tier 3 support.
• Ensuring progress data for students with additional learning needs
and other students receiving any aspect of support for their learning
is reviewed on a termly basis and reported accordingly to parents.
DLPs shall be reviewed at least three times a year and incorporate a
system to track progress towards identified targets at least every 4
weeks.
• Conducting an annual review, at a minimum, of needs for students
receiving Tier 2 or 3 support, including any student with a dedicated
Inclusion Assistant or an Individual Assistant, to ensure provision
remains appropriate and informs the long-term educational
pathways of the student.
• Ensuring all subject leaders track the progress, attainment, and
approaches of students with additional learning needs in their
subject, to identify any learning outcomes linked to the DLP.
• Personalizing, where necessary, attainment and progress reports,
which shall be created based on information in the DLP, for students
with additional learning needs to celebrate their progress which is
unique to their individual starting point.
2. Inclusive Teaching & Learning Approaches: Schools shall ensure their
teaching and learning approaches reflect the following elements:
a. Incorporate inclusive teaching strategies into lesson planning to
support students with additional learning needs as a feature of
adaptive teaching.
b. Personalize the teaching content for students with additional learning
needs and ensure alignment with the tiered model of support and any
DLP targets.
c. Ensure professional development opportunities and awareness
sessions on inclusive approaches to education (including adaptive
teaching strategies to support learning and the achievement of DLP
targets) are delivered to staff by the Head of Inclusion and other
specialists.
d. Ensure the Head of Inclusion deploys the Inclusion Team to provide
support in accordance with the needs of students with additional
learning needs.
e. Provide guidance for Inclusion Assistants and any interested Individual
Assistants in their professional development.
f. Adopt a tiered model of support response to interventions to ensure
the progress of all students with additional learning needs.
g. Ensure the Head of Inclusion coordinates specialist interventions by
external agencies such as Speech and Language Therapists,
Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, or Counselors, uploaded
accordingly through the In-School Specialist Services system, as per
the ADEK In-School Specialist Services Policy.
h. Support students with additional learning needs to enable them to use
assistive technology, where appropriate, to improve their access to
learning.
i. Ensure all teachers explore the full range of adaptive approaches to
teaching and that they seek guidance from others before initiating any
referral to the Head of Inclusion.
j. Ensure concerns over progress and attainment are raised with parents
at an early stage to support early intervention.
3. Curriculum: Schools shall provide students with additional learning needs an
opportunity to follow an appropriate curriculum pathway and achieve
appropriate outcomes by:
a. Ensuring all students with additional learning needs have access to a
broad and balanced school curriculum that includes access to the full
range of extracurricular activities, which shall be adapted to meet their
needs, where appropriate.
b. Ensuring Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) pathways are
aligned with UAE MoE guidance on pathways to equivalency, where
appropriate.
c. Ensuring that where any agreed modified curriculum pathway may not
fulfill equivalency requirements, parents are made aware of this and
sign an undertaking of acknowledgment.
d. Ensuring that eSIS is updated to indicate when the student is following
a modified curriculum.
4. Assessment Accommodations: Schools shall ensure that students with
additional learning needs are not disadvantaged during any form of
assessment. Consequently, schools shall:
a. Evaluate the needs of all students with additional learning needs to:
• Ensure all accommodations and modifications reflect the student’s
normal way of working in the classroom.
• Ensure permissions for accommodations and modifications are
sought and adherence to policies/guidelines stipulated by external
assessment providers and examination boards, where necessary.
• Develop an Assessment Accommodations Policy outlining the
process and eligibility for applying accommodations and
modifications for assessments, in line with any external assessment
provider requirements (if applicable).
3.4 Schools Teaching MoE Curriculum: All schools teaching the MoE curriculum are also
subject to the requirements of Ministerial Resolution No. (647) of 2020 on the Policy of
Inclusive Education and any of its amendments.
4. Additional Fees
4.1 Schools shall follow the principle of inclusion which states that equitable access to
education is the right of all students and efforts are made to meet the needs of any
students with additional learning needs within the school’s fee structure.
1. Where the exceptional need of a student requires specialist intervention and
support beyond the school’s standard inclusive provision, and as stipulated in
the student’s Clinical Assessment Report (where applicable), schools may
request additional school fees. Where additional school fees are necessary,
schools shall:
a. Justify, with evidence, the requirements and costs for additional
provisions that extend beyond the standard inclusive provision.
b. Obtain a parental agreement, which shall be renewed at least
annually, or when there is a change in the fees charged.
c. Itemize all additional individually chargeable fees and update the
student records on the eSIS database with the itemized charges.
d. Schools shall provide termly financial statements to parents itemizing
the allocation of additional funds charged.
e. Limit additional charges to parents so that they do not exceed 50% of
the tuition fee and that any optional administration charge for in school specialists does not exceed 10% of the cost, as per the ADEK
In-School Specialist Services Policy.
• Schools in the low to very low tuition fee range for whom the above
cap may be insufficient to cover costs are authorized to charge
above 50% of the tuition fee if parents consent to paying the extra
charge. Alternatively, schools shall seek approval from ADEK for any
extra charges.
f. Review all additional charges on a termly basis and evaluate the
impact and ongoing applicability of specialist services.
5. Leadership
5.1 Leadership Roles and Responsibilities: The school’s Inclusion Policy shall describe the
roles and responsibilities of the school leadership, with the following as a minimum:
1. The Board of Trustees shall:
a. Set the strategic direction for the school incorporating a commitment to
inclusive education.
b. Nominate one board member for oversight of inclusive provision.
c. Ensure a financial budget that provides the necessary specialist staffing
and resources to support the inclusion of students with additional
learning needs.
d. Ensure adjustments and accommodations to the school
environment/infrastructure are made, or planned for, to improve access
for students with additional learning needs with physical disability and
sensory impairment.
2. The Principal shall:
a. Ensure inclusive provision is a standing agenda item of senior leadership
and Board of Trustees meetings.
b. Develop and review their inclusive provision as part of their School
Development Plan including measurable targets, in order to evaluate and
improve provision and accessibility for students with additional learning
needs.
c. Ensure a member of the senior leadership team has direct oversight of
inclusive provision in the school.
d. Appoint a Head of Inclusion who meets the requirements of the ADEK
Staff Eligibility Policy with responsibility for the coordination of all aspects
of education for students with additional learning needs (see Section 3.1).
e. Appoint a separate member of staff to be responsible for the
coordination and provision of multilingual learners.
f. Appoint a member of staff to be responsible for the coordination and
provision for gifted and/or talented learners and work in conjunction with
senior leaders.
g. Ensure all staff have access to a program of CPD opportunities related to
adaptive teaching and ensure staff are trained in student protection and
safeguarding awareness measures which include how to identify
concerns that may be specific to students with additional learning needs,
as per the ADEK Student Protection Policy.
h. Establish a risk assessment procedure for all structures within the school
to be undertaken to identify and mitigate any hazards that may present
heightened risks to those with communication, mobility, sensory, and
behavioral needs.
i. Ensure data on the identification of students with additional learning
needs is submitted to ADEK as per any request.
j. Ensure all incidents of maltreatment (particularly bullying or
discrimination) against students with additional learning needs are
recorded and resolved, as appropriate.
k. Establish a system for the emergency evacuation of all people of
determination (students, staff, and visitors), ensuring that key persons
identified are aware of their roles and that training and awareness
sessions have been delivered in a timely and appropriate manner to the
school community.
l. Undertake overall responsibility for the safe evacuation of all people of
determination during emergency situations.
3. The Head of Inclusion shall:
a. Coordinate all aspects of educational, behavioral, social, and emotional
provision for students with additional learning needs through liaison with
other teachers and professionals.
b. Collaborate with all teachers on the teaching and learning needs of
students with additional learning needs and track their progress and
attainment in relation to curriculum expectations.
c. Ensure all documentation pertaining to students with additional learning
needs is securely stored, evaluated, and disseminated as appropriate, as
per the ADEK Records Policy.
d. Maintain, review, quality assure, and update the school-based register of
students with additional learning needs, including their DLPs and PEEPs.
e. Develop PEEPs for each student in coordination with the designated
Health and Safety Offer in preparation for emergency evacuation
situations, as per the ADEK Health and Safety Policy. This should be
reviewed on a termly basis or where the needs of the individual or setting
changes.
f. Evaluate, together with the school’s Health and Safety Offer, the
school’s accessibility for students with additional learning needs,
including ensuring an emergency evacuation procedure is in place.
g. Ensure all data requirements and eSIS information on students with
additional learning needs are reviewed and updated.
h. Engage in reviews of teaching and learning for quality assurance
purposes on inclusive teaching approaches and the provision for
students with additional learning needs.
i. Meet with parents to discuss the provision for students with additional
learning needs throughout the school year and the support that can be
provided in the home setting.
j. Ensure all specialist push-in and pull-out interventions are coordinated
and evaluated for positive impact on attainment.
k. Coordinate with in-school specialists to facilitate the delivery of specialist
services in the school setting where required, through the in-school
services system, as per the ADEK In-School Specialist Services Policy.
6. Compliance
6.1 This policy shall be effective as of 3 October 2023. Schools are expected to be fully
compliant with this policy by AY 2025/26 (Fall term).
6.2 Failure to comply with this policy shall be subject to legal accountability and the
penalties stipulated in accordance with the ADEK’s regulations, policies, and
requirements, notwithstanding any other penalties imposed by Federal Decree Law
No. (31) of 2021 Promulgating the Crimes and Penalties Law or any other relevant law.
ADEK reserves the right to intervene if the school is found to be in violation of its
obligations.