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Choosing a school – What Makes A School The Right One for my Child?
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Choosing a school – What Makes A School The Right One for my Child?

by Lis ONealApril 6, 2017

Finding school places for children with Additional Language or Learning Needs

Whilst education for children with Additional Learning Needs has come a long way over the past 5+ years, finding places can still be a major challenge. The Regulators are demanding ever improving levels of support in mainstream schools, but finding the trained staff and resources is not going to happen overnight in a society that has only started to discuss such issues openly over the past 10 years.

Many schools now routinely include English Language Learner programmes in recognition of the wide range of countries from which UAE residents increasingly are coming. These can be based on one-on-one support initially, to small group and through to in-class learning support. Many schools do charge additional fees for this service, in order to cover the cost of specialist staff and resources.

For children with more complex learning needs, there is a real divide between mainstream schools that can offer support to children with increasingly common additional learning support requirements – mild Autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Down’s Syndrome, mild Speech and Language issues or Auditory problems, for example – and more complex issues. Many of the conditions mentioned above can be supported in a mainstream setting – dependent on the severity and subject to assessment. In most cases, parents will be required to pay additional fees for Shadow Learning Support staff.

Unfortunately, the provision for children with more complex needs is still very limited. There is most certainly not the level of support available that would be found in more established countries, and parents considering a move to the UAE would need to research their options very thoroughly before committing themselves to relocate.

 

Index
Overview – your framework to choose
Acceptable fees – what does that mean?
Reputation and school ratings
Accreditation, why that matters
New versus established schools
Teachers and staffing
Facilities
Specialist subjects
Additional Language, or Learning Needs 

About The Author
Lis ONeal

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