Policy on the Integration and Inclusion of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) into Mainstream Classes

Introduction:

The need for a policy on inclusion developed from the collective desire of the teaching staff to have a defined and uniform whole school approach to the issue of integration. It is also recognises that special classes are attached to mainstream schools with the sole purpose and vision of providing a mainstream educational setting into which pupils with SEN can be eventually integrated. This policy is a revision of the previous document and was devised following consultation with all stake holders; parents, mainstream and support teachers, SNAs and the National Education Psychological Service (NEPS). The school strives to include all children in curricular learning experiences.

Rationale:

The policy was formulated so that;

teaching staff have clear well defined guidelines on best practice
there is consistency throughout the school
optimum learning experiences are provided for all the children

Aims:

to provide a teaching and learning experience that enables pupils with SEN to learn in a mainstream setting
to enable mainstream children to develop an acceptance of those who are different in society
to facilitate the holistic development of the child with SEN

Staff Roles

Principal/Deputy Principal

School management will;
assume direct responsibility for co-ordinating an effective whole-school approach to integration/inclusion
be responsible for the provision of in-service training and adequate resources
monitor the effectiveness of the policy and make relevant adjustments following consultation
work with parents and out of school agencies on an ongoing basis

Solas Class Teachers

The Solas Class teachers will;
identify the appropriate curricular areas from which their pupils will most benefit
ensure SNA support is available during integration
collaborate and consult with mainstream class teachers in setting realistic targets
assume responsibility for an ongoing Individual Education Plan (IEP) in consultation with parents, management and support services

Mainstream Class Teachers

The mainstream class teachers will;
differentiate classwork (if necessary) to meet the needs of the pupil with SEN
provide a suitable seating arrangement in the mainstream setting
collaborate and communicate with the Solas Class teacher and the SNA

Implementation

The implementation of this policy is based on a four staged approach with inclusion targets set for each stage. These four stages incorporate targets based on three fundamental areas of learning:

social/ communication
adaptive/ sensory
academic/ curricular

The four stages are laid out in full below.

Reverse Integration. (Pre-Inclusion)

Inclusion may start with reverse inclusion in small group situations. Pupils’ progress will be monitored and staff observations will inform decisions to move Solas pupils onto the next stage of inclusion. Parents will be informed at an early stage if a child appears to be unable to move past this stage due to cognitive, communitive, behaviour, sensory or other issues. The suitability of the child’s placement may be addressed at this stage. The advice and help of outside agencies such as NEPS, Speech and Language therapists (SLT) and Occupational therapists (OT) will be sought. In addition, reverse inclusion may be used at other stages e.g. lunch-time buddies, PE classes, ‘Friends for Life’ small group sessions, social groups, Lego Groups etc. The small group setting can be of benefit to both mainstream pupils and those with SEN.

Stage 1

Social Targets

Pupils, who have demonstrated an ability to engage with their peers from mainstream or community pre-school during reverse inclusion, will begin short episodes of inclusion in mainstream or community pre-school classes. The main targets for inclusion at this stage are social and adaptive. Inclusion may be in an academic lesson but the targets are, in general, not academic. Bearing in mind the less structured nature of classes such as Art, Drama and PE, inclusion in these classes may not suit every child. Therefore inclusion in more structured academic subjects may prove more beneficial socially. Inclusion will be in an age appropriate class/pre-school group, and that class/group will be the child’s designated class while they remain a pupil of St. Oliver Plunkett N.S. Children from the Solas classes may also be integrated for school outings and activities such as Sports Day, Fire Drill, school plays, choir and carol singing etc.

Stage 2

Social with some curricular targets

When the child with SEN has adjusted on a social level he/she will gradually be engaged in curricular areas in their mainstream class appropriate to their ability level. Formal and informal communication and collaboration between teachers is necessary for successful inclusion at this stage. Lessons may be pre-taught by the Solas teacher and may be differentiated according to each child’s needs. There are many opportunities for this type of integration such as Aistear, co-teaching, station teaching and informal visits to either classroom. Solas pupils may sometimes be integrated into mainstream station teaching classes on the basis of cognitive ability in order to expose them to new concepts or to consolidate previous learning.

Stage 3

Academic targets including Literacy and/or Numeracy

Pupils who demonstrate a capacity for inclusion in academic lessons without the need for a lot of differentiation by the mainstream teacher will be moved onto stage three. This is usually dependent on the pupil’s cognitive ability being within the average range, coupled with an advanced level of adaptive ability. Some pupils may not progress beyond stage 4 due to social or adaptive deficits and will continue to require supports of the small group setting in Solas.

Stage 4

Full Inclusion in mainstream

This inclusion will be preceded by consultations between parents, class teacher, principal/deputy principal, NEPS psychologist and Special Educational Needs Organizer (SENO). Some of the criteria upon which a decision will be made are cognitive ability, communication/social skills, adaptive skills, ability to self-regulate, sensory tolerance etc.

Stages One to Three —Some Sample Inclusion Targets

Targets	Reverse Integration.	Stage 1 Inclusion-social	Stage 2-some learning	Stage 3 -academic
Social/ communication	To practise turn taking To practise sharing To promote a buddy system and possible friendships To practise social skills which have been pre- taught in discrete lessons	To learn the names of some (all) of their mainstream peers To greet the peers at his/her table by name To begin to identify with this group of peers as their classmates	To begin to see the mainstream class as their base class To begin to form friendships with some pupils To communicate socially with some peers	To attend to teacher To follow simple instructions To answer questions To increase social interaction with peers
Adaptive/ Sensory	To expose Solas pupils to behaviour modelled by typically developing children To expose Solas pupils to a larger group of children To lead mainstream children to an understanding of their peers with autism	To become accustomed to a full classroom of peers To become desensitized to the smells, sounds and sights of a mainstream classroom. To enter the classroom, find seat and sit down with prompts initially leading to independence To wait for their turn to speak or answer	To abide by the rules of their mainstream class To attempt to self-regulate if over-whelmed To develop ability to cope with changes in routine/schedule To begin to transition more smoothly between subjects/classes To begin to assemble correct requirements for class	To follow class routines To self-regulate To cope with changes in routine/schedule To transition smoothly between subjects/classes To independently assemble correct requirements for class
Academic/ Learning (To be adapted as required ) *e.g. Literacy* *e.g. Maths*	To listen to a story in a small group setting Engaging in counting rhymes/songs in small group settings	To attend to a story in classroom with mainstream peers Engaging in counting rhymes/songs in classroom with mainstream peers settings	To listen/read story and discuss/answer questions To complete some Maths tasks based on a pre-taught topic differentiated if required	To read and answer questions on text independently To independently complete Maths tasks as set by teacher

For integration/inclusion to be effective it must:

be in the best interest of child with SEN
not interfere with the level of learning within each class
be open to review and continual assessment

Assessment by observation and testing will be conducted by the class teachers covering the following aspects of development:

social integration
language and communication
play and behaviour
level of prompts needed
level of curricular engagement

Signed by BOM Chairperson, September 2018

Review

This policy will be reviewed in 2020/2021

Inclusion Policy