Divine Word is an inclusive school. We strive to use the available resources to enable pupils with special educational needs to access, participate in and benefit from a broad range of experiences in our school. We have a team of six Special Education Teachers and nine Special Needs Assistants who support the children in our school.
Pupil’s educational needs include academic, social and emotional needs as well as needs associated with physical, sensory, language and communication difficulties.
Divine Word adopts a staged approach to intervention, guided by the Continuum of Support framework. This framework recognises that special educational needs occur along a continuum, ranging from mild to severe, and from transient to long term, and that pupils require different levels of support depending on their identified educational needs. The educational needs of most pupils can be met through interventions by class teachers (Stage I). Some children will require additional support (Stage II). A small number of children will require individualised and special support (Stage III). The Continuum of Support enables us to identify and respond to needs in a flexible way. This means that needs can be responded to as early as possible. Of course, the principle that pupils with the greatest level of need have access to the greatest levels of support is of primary importance to us.
Our school is part of the School Inclusion Model of In School Therapy Supports. We have an Occupational Therapist and Speech and Language therapist who visit our school regularly. They do not offer individual therapy to children but advise and train our staff in ways to support our children in these areas. These supports are offered at all three tiers on the continuum of support.