Looking for international schools in Singapore that offer learning support? We've spoken to 17 schools about their facilities for kids who need extra help.
Watching little ones along their learning journey path is full of highs, lows, and plenty of tears of both joy and frustration for all parents. But while we know that all of our children are unique, brilliant little masterpieces, formal education and academia is not easy for everyone. It’s not a one-size-fits-all. Thankfully, there are lots of great options here in Singapore if your child does need a bit of extra in-school support, which can make all the difference in helping children to reach their maximum potential. We’ve spoken to 17 of the international schools in Singapore that offer learning support programmes for kids of all ages…
International schools in Singapore that offer learning support
1. International French School (Singapore)
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
International French School (IFS) (Singapore) is one of the few French institutions overseas to have a dedicated structure for students with special educational needs. Its on-site learning support team, Groupe d’Accompagnement et d’Inclusion (GAIN), provides these students with an individual and customisable programme to suit their educational needs.
Are there support services provided at the school, and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
IFS’ GAIN team is composed of school psychologists, specialised teachers, and a learning support specialist. The school psychologists support IFS students of all ages, providing them with a confidential space for talking and listening. They will also assess the needs and demands of the students to decide the best course of action, including referrals to external counsellors if needed.
The school also has specialised teachers who work with students who have learning difficulties. They work in small groups with three to six students, helping them set cognitive strategies and supporting them in acquiring the skills needed to perform in school. IFS also has a learning support specialist on-site who works one-on-one with students who have difficulty adapting to the school environment or being actively engaged learners.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
IFS has different strategies and schooling paths in place to cater to each student’s unique needs. The GAIN team supports students with special needs and learning disorders. Depending on their needs, the team will recommend them to a suitable school programme: Personalised Project of Schooling or Personalised Support Plan. Students with specific learning needs may benefit from its Customised Schooling Project and Personalised Caring Programme.
Interested parents can find out more about the support and educational offerings IFS provides during its upcoming Open House, held this coming 19 May 2023 at 8:45am.
Read more about International French School (Singapore)
2. The Winstedt School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
As the only school in Singapore that’s purpose-built for students who learn differently, The Winstedt School has dedicated therapy clinics and specialist gyms for students to receive targeted learning and developmental support. There’s also a room called The Cloud, where all students can access should they need a safe space to take calming breaks or reflect.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
Winstedt is one of the few schools with an in-house therapy team, specialising in providing occupational, behavioural, as well as speech and language therapies. Using a unique integrated therapy model, therapy is offered as ‘push-ins’ twice a week in all classes during unstructured times (such as recess and lunchtime) in a school day. This is an effective and evidence-based model that’s been used in Winstedt for close to 15 years.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is offered to all Winstedt students too, regardless of their learning needs. The school believes that every child can benefit from SEL, as it focuses on developing their social, emotional, and cognitive skills. On top of teaching students these skills, teachers also provide students with opportunities to practise them throughout the school day.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
School routines and lessons, which follow the British curriculum, are tailored to the specific needs of each student. Thanks to Winstedt’s small class sizes, adaptations and accommodations can be made whenever necessary as well.
Students who require more targeted or greater support are provided with ‘pull-out’ sessions, which are conducted in small groups. These sessions focus on play skills, social skills, visualising and verbalising, and motor planning – just to name a few. All ‘pull-out’ group sessions are conducted among students of similar age and ability level, which allows them to learn from each other. All integrated therapy, which covers both ‘push-in’ and ‘pull-out’ support are included in the school’s tuition fees.
Should more support be required, Winstedt’s in-house therapy team can provide one-to-one or paired supplemental therapy sessions outside of classroom hours too. These are carried out in close consultation with the student, their parents, and the school’s multidisciplinary team.
Read more about The Winstedt School
3. Dover Court International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with learning differences?
Dover Court International School’s (DCIS) Pathway 3 classes (explained below) are held in bright purpose-built classrooms that are centrally located on campus, with direct access to our interactive outdoor learning areas. We have sensory and movement rooms, a sensory garden, and our very own school garden, where students grow vegetables and herbs that they’ll prepare in the teaching kitchen.
Are there support services provided at the school, and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
DCIS’ support programme is structured into three learning pathways. The level of support increases across the learning pathways. These pathways are not fixed, and students can move between them as and when their needs change. Our support programme starts from the age of three with the Early Intervention Programme (aligned to the National Curriculum for England) and extends through secondary school (IGCSE courses, alternatives that focus on English and Mathematics, ASDAN programmes, and the International BTEC).
Pathway 1 allows students in the mainstream curriculum to access short-term help through DCIS’ learning support and therapy teams to meet their specific learning outcomes. Studying English as an additional language is included in this pathway as well.
Pathway 2 provides a greater level of support to students following the mainstream curriculum, with adjusted outcomes. Classes in this pathway are smaller, around eight to ten students, guided by a teacher and a teaching assistant.
Pathway 3 is designed for students who require more significant learning and/or social support. As such, this pathway offers the highest level of personalisation, with an individualised curriculum and support services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, as well as an educational psychologist. Class sizes are reduced to only eight students per class.
The integrated and fluid nature of these pathways allows us to continuously meet the needs of every student from nursery through secondary school, as they evolve over the student’s time with the school.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
Education at DCIS is delivered through quality-first teaching in a differentiated mainstream classroom. We ensure that our students are making the expected progress through a wide range of assessments, marking, and thorough communication with parents. Should a child be struggling, they can access both short-term booster support and more long-term integrated support to meet their learning outcomes through our dedicated learning support and therapy teams.
Whether a child requires short-term intervention or more structured ongoing support, DCIS’ unique range of learning pathways enables students to access learning, thrive, and grow into happy, well-rounded individuals. This helps them stay prepared for the next step in their studies, training, as well as their future careers. We know that every student can succeed if they are given the right support. It’s our passion to provide a safe and nurturing environment in which children can progress joyfully and experience personal success in their academic, social, and emotional development.
Read more about Dover Court International School
4. ISS International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
Our Learning Support Team, along with the academic team at ISS, is very much guided by ISS’ core philosophies of being nurturing, empowering and inclusive to prepare our students to be strong, global stewards. We strive to ensure the total wellbeing of our students to help them realise their potential.
This academic year, we have embarked on a school-wide Learning Accelerator program. Here, our teachers work with each student to identify and monitor the student’s progress on personal and academic goals. Student progress monitoring and support is now offered throughout the school as a mainstream programme, so all students are becoming more sensitive to their own range of strengths and needs, as well as those of classmates. Since all students at ISS now have individual learning plans with goals and objectives, this helps to alleviate any potential stigma associated with learning and counselling support for students with more significant challenges.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
Our Learning Support and Counselling Teams observe students in class in addition to providing private one-on-one or small group sessions with students as needed. We consult frequently with the students’ parents and local guardians. With this additional feedback, the Learning Support and Counselling Teams work with the University Advisor, Guardianship, Boarding Coordinator and/or Medical staff together with the student’s academic teachers and divisional principals to develop differentiated learning and support plans.
The Learning Support and Counselling Teams attend weekly staff meetings across all grade levels to monitor both student progress and the effectiveness of interventions. This is the beauty of ISS. We take the time and effort to understand what drives our students, which develops their wellbeing. This inclusive framework works successfully to help students flourish here and in future endeavours. Many of our students achieve strong IB scores and go on to attend top universities around the world.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
The process of identifying learning needs begins with our review of a student’s admissions application. If a new student has identified needs, a team reviews prior data and reports. If a current student has emerging needs, we conduct classroom observations and screening assessments. If a student’s needs are significant, we refer the family to specialists at outside agencies. Our team then works closely with specialists to develop the student’s ISS Learning Support Plan and monitor and enhance growth. Finally, in cases when a student presents both learning and language-acquisition challenges, we consult and co-teach with EAL teachers to provide the most effective interventions and support.
In these challenging pandemic times, our Learning Support and Counselling Teams also use video conferencing with parents and outside service agencies to communicate regularly and to enhance our collaboration with speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, physicians, and educational therapists to support our students.
5. The GUILD International College
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
We are a school that caters to diverse learners aged 12 years and above, and believe in teaching the way the students learn. The classrooms and other learning areas in The GUILD International College have therefore been designed with different learning styles in mind. For example: All our classrooms have both regular tables for tabletop learning, as well as a breakout area where students can gather around and learn in a more social setting. We also have various equipment within the classroom such as mini trampolines, bean bags, etc. to allow for movement breaks for those who need it. In addition, we have dedicated facilities that offer training in a real life setting with industry professionals such as the Life Skills room, Cafe, DJ Studio, Photography Studio, Podcast Studio, Woodworking Workshop, ICT lab and an Art Studio.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
The low teacher-student ratio in the college means that all students receive the additional learning support. We also work closely with external specialists such as speech therapists, occupational therapists, music therapists, physiotherapists, dance coaches, etc. in an effort to provide more targeted support for the students on campus.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
When a child is struggling, the teacher and a team of specialists will collaboratively design strategies to address his or her challenges. These strategies will also be shared with the parents to ensure the approach is consistent in school and at home. Our open-door policy and transparency make it easier for teachers to share progress and development – we find that this two-way communication is really effective.
Read more about The GUILD International College
6. Integrated International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
At Integrated International School (IIS), our students’ wellbeing and happiness comes first which is why we provide dedicated and unique spaces for everyone to use on campus. Our founding Principal and leading child psychologist, Dr. Vanessa von Auer, designed our ‘one of a kind’ Ocean Snoezelen room, which provides a multi-sensorial experience as soon as students walk through the door. The space includes mesmerising bubble tubes, interactive infinity panels, a colourful fibre optic ‘waterfall’ and soft textured flooring. The relaxed environment becomes the backdrop for daily meditation, imaginative play, group therapy and yoga activities.
One of our most popular spaces is the Occupational Therapy gym, with its bright, colourful swings, cosy hammocks, climbing ladders and a slide. It’s a fun space that improves students gross and fine motor skills, enhances their confidence and lets them learn through play. In addition, our in-house support staff have private suites to provide counselling, speech and naturalistic Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy sessions.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
At IIS, one of our core values is community and we believe teamwork is essential to succeed. This is why our in-house counsellors and therapists work together with our teachers to ensure that each child’s needs are met. The school works closely with external support services (Speech and Occupational Therapists) who are an extension of the IIS team and provide sessions on campus for the students during school hours.
All the support staff communicate with the teachers on a daily basis and we have found that this collaboration between therapists and teachers greatly benefits our students in terms of relevant support.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
If any student is struggling academically, behaviourally, emotionally or socially, our teachers are highly trained to identify when a child needs additional support. The big advantage of our teacher-to-student ratio (1:6) in an inclusive environment is that it allows for teachers to prepare and apply the appropriate action needed to support our kids.
Teachers can immediately reassess if the learning or behavioural strategies are effective, if not, they will communicate with our support staff and work together on a new programme. For example, if a student has ADHD or Dyslexia, they may develop loss of confidence or anxiety over school work. Therefore, our teachers will coordinate with support staff to address these areas and create effective learning programmes while monitoring any changes and developments with the students.
Read more about Integrated International School
7. Canadian International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
We have dedicated learning support classrooms in both primary and secondary school. They are outfitted with specialised furniture and learning resources, such as wobbly cushions, to help students with concentration difficulties and special computer terminals for those with visual difficulties. We work with students individually or in small groups on targeted goals to support their specific learning needs.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
We have a dedicated Learner Success Team made up of learning support teachers, our school psychologist, counsellors, coordinators, administrators and health care providers. Our team works closely with teachers, parents and external providers to provide holistic support to our students. Our learning support teachers focus on the development of executive functioning and numeracy and literacy skills. We also work with external providers to provide speech therapy, occupational therapy and social thinking sessions on site. Our primary goal is to understand each student so that they can continue to grow and develop as collaborative, critical and creative learners.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
We use a response to instruction and intervention model. We proactively monitor growth and development in numeracy and literacy. For a student who may be struggling with a specific learning area, we begin by employing core classroom strategies. Together with our support specialists, our psychometrician may conduct assessments as needed. Our learning support teachers may also provide in-class support or dedicated individual or small group instruction as needed focussing on numeracy, literacy or the development of approaches to learning skills.
Read more about Canadian International School
8. Nexus International School (Singapore)
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
Nexus International School (Singapore) is an inclusive school. All the classrooms (or pods as we call them) are designed to be flexible spaces. This means that children can collaborate together, in small groups or as individuals. Our spaces provide a range of options for each child to learn in a way that they feel most comfortable with.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
There is a learning support team and they work closely with the family, teachers, external providers (when necessary) and the learner. The learning support team builds teacher capacity and awareness of inclusive strategies that enables learners to meet their potential.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
When a teacher first becomes aware of any particular struggles, the learning support team encourage and facilitate a collaborative brainstorming approach that includes parent, learner and teacher input. The team identify behaviours that generally fall into the categories of memory, organisation, processing and communication/social skills (MOPS). Inclusive strategies are trialled, monitored and regularly reviewed to support student growth.
Read more about Nexus International School (Singapore)
9. Bright Path
What are dedicated facilities provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
One of the facilities provided is the sensory pathway for children with sensory-processing needs. The path helps to engage children with various senses and creates a calming, inviting and tactile stimulus for children of all abilities. There is also the water play trough which allows children to enjoy therapeutic sounds of water streaming. We also have the Herb Garden which is nurtured by our children when they go for outdoor play daily. We keep our children engaged with gardening activities as we believe this helps promote their fine and gross motor skills. Children love the different textures and scents of the plants, which include eggplants, cherry tomatoes, lady’s fingers and lime, and herbs such as rosemary, Chinese mint and laksa leaves. Students feel a sense of accomplishment when they see the fruits of their labour.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? Also, how open is the school to working with external support services?
At Bright Path, we believe in a tripartite relationship with parents, educators and therapists. We provide small group therapy sessions, and the early intervention component is embedded throughout the day. Our therapist will share strategies with our educators, and our educators will impart that knowledge to parents as we believe in a continuum. With consistency, learning goals can be achieved in a shorter period. We also conduct regular meetings with both educators and therapist to understand our children’s abilities and work on education plans. Working with external support is something that we will be looking into soon.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
With the teacher-child ratio of 1:3, our educators would be able to understand each child’s behaviour and thus be able to identify if a child is struggling. Firstly, before the child enrols, we meet up with the parents to understand more about the student, and a family report is provided. We then narrow down the possibilities as to why the child is struggling. We will also invite the parents and discuss steps we will be taking to help the child adapt in the class environment.
10. Tanglin Trust School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
Tanglin Trust School’s curriculum and student-centred teaching and learning strategies ensure that a wide range of individual learning needs are met within the mainstream classroom. However, at certain stages along a student’s development, some children may need curriculum modification or specific intervention. To meet these needs, we have a dedicated team of specialist Learning Support teachers and support assistants in each of the Infant, Junior and Senior schools. The Learning Support team often supports class teachers in the classroom but may also deliver focused intervention programmes to small groups or individual children.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
In addition to our strong Pastoral and Learning Support teams, our Co-ordinated Wellbeing Services (Nursing Team, Counselling Department and Educational Psychologist) advise teachers and work with students – individually or in small groups – to offer more specialist support.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
Assessment tools are used to track progress and determine the correct level of support to create a personalised learning journey. When necessary, Individual Education Plans are created, which provide achievable and measurable targets that are regularly reviewed. In the Senior School, when needed, curriculum modifications are made which may include a reduced curriculum, one-to-one mentoring sessions and Learning Support lessons.
The Learning Support teams play a strong role in providing a positive and supportive setting. Ongoing relationships with teachers, the close personal attention given to students by specialist staff, and a well-structured system of pastoral care, mean that our knowledge of each student’s abilities and aptitudes is exceptional. This enables us to provide all students with personalised academic and pastoral support which is a key ingredient in their high levels of achievement.
Read more about Tanglin Trust School
11. Australian International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
Currently the Learning Enrichment Teams in the Elementary and Secondary school have designated teaching areas where small group support can occur in both the Elementary and Secondary school. Being an inclusive school, the students are catered for within the classroom environment where possible.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
The Learning Enrichment team have specific teachers dedicated to providing support for academic needs. There are currently no specialised therapies at Australian International School, however, through close collaboration with outside providers we are able to use strategies and adjusted levels of curriculum which have been identified by therapists. If students have a specific diagnosis, a Student Learner Profile is developed which informs all teachers of a student’s learning needs and how they can best support students in their care. Australian International School has an ongoing relationship with various outside providers in the Singapore community and have developed a trusted network of support for students and their families.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
Australian International School employs learning support specialists to work with students, teachers and parents. These specialist personnel offer a continuum of services to support positive learning outcomes for all students. Australian International School have a flexible learning and teaching model which allows for the provision of support in accordance with identified student needs. Students are identified as requiring different levels of support where they may be on Monitored, Targeted or Modified adjustments. Students may receive literacy support and/or numeracy support through a combination of assistance with their class teacher, learning enrichment teachers and teaching assistants. Australian International School believes that each child is unique and requires a differentiated approach to supporting their needs.
Read more about Australian International School
12. EtonHouse International School and Pre-School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
At Etonhouse International School Broadrick, we promote inclusion and accept students with diverse needs who can be supported in our mainstream environment. Most of our learning support students have mild learning difficulties and work well with differentiated activities in the mainstream classrooms along with support from the learning support teachers.
The learning support team has a dedicated room to work with children who need one-to-one attention. Children with diverse needs enjoy the quiet space to work in. This space is also used by our learning support students during assessments where they can work with minimal distractions in a calm environment. Our learning support teachers work closely with the Homeroom, Language and Specialist teachers to ensure that we support all our students in the classroom who have additional needs, including students who are talented. Apart from this, we are lucky to have plenty of open, green space in our play area for our kinaesthetic learners to explore and for children who need to expend their energy.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
They say it takes a village to raise a child, more so, if a child has diverse needs. We work closely with external agencies to support our students with diverse needs. The child’s homeroom teacher and the learning support teachers collaborate with multidisciplinary professionals like educational psychologists, counsellors, speech-language therapists, occupational therapists, and play therapists to align our teaching practices as per the recommendations.
It is not uncommon to have the child’s specialists coming to school and working closely with the learning support teachers and homeroom teachers to discuss intervention strategies to help the child overcome barriers to his/her learning. The learning support team also works with shadow support teachers in cases where a child needs a full time/part-time shadow teacher to support him/her with behavioural challenges.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
Generally, the child’s homeroom teacher is the first to touch base with the Learning Support (LS) teachers about the difficulties faced by the child – be it behavioural or academic or both. After the homeroom teachers make their own observations, they typically share and discuss this in detail with the learning support teacher. Together, they set goals for the student along with specific strategies to support the student. The learning support teacher ensures that every child with learning needs has his/her needs met as fully as possible using all our resources.
If a child does not make adequate progress, we request parents to get their child assessed externally by relevant professionals. The LS teacher then consults and liaises with staff, parents and external agencies to put in place an individualised educational plan. The LS teacher ensures support is coordinated and targeted most effectively at the student. All stakeholders are clearly informed about the children on the learning support register so that they understand how best to contribute and support. We recognise that substantially better outcomes are achieved when all key people in and around the student’s learning environment are included in this initiative and are engaged in planning, supporting and implementing the educational program.
Note: Apart from EtonHouse Broadrick, our International School campus at Orchard campus, as well as Middleton International School, also provide learning support too.
Read more about EtonHouse International School and Pre-School
13. Stamford American International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
At Stamford, we have robust team of multi-disciplinary professionals comprised of Academic Support and Extension Teachers, School Counsellors, Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Therapists, Behavioural Specialists, Special Education Teachers, as well as in-class Support Teachers. Utilising a multi-tiered system of support, our services increase and decrease according to the needs of each child.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
Throughout the year, parents, teachers, and specialists work collaboratively to identify and support students with all aspects of their development thus supporting the child as they proceed through their educational experience. Just as we collaborate internally with classroom teachers, we regularly liaise with outside providers in order to effectively support students for success in school. As case managers, we serve as the primary liaison between school, family and all other adults working to support the child.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
As a school, we proactively identify students who may require additional assistance in order to meet school expectations. If a child is struggling, we use early indication systems to provide immediate support through collaborative problem solving, research-based interventions, and progress monitoring tools to ensure our effectiveness. We have also developed an intensive support program which employs a multi-disciplinary and team-based approach to support students with moderate to severe disabilities. As a school which values diversity, students are included in the mainstream classroom to the maximum extent possible while also providing separate spaces for learning when appropriate.
Read more about Stamford American International School
14. Blue House International
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
Our programme for professional development training includes specific workshops with experts and specialists from Early Childhood Education and Psychology industries, who support and provide strategies for our team in order to identify and support children with special needs.
Our generous indoor and outdoor spaces allow children to move between large or small group experiences as they are comfortable. Together with our low educator-child ratios, this translates into personalised educational experiences for children who require quiet spaces or larger environments to facilitate regulated sensory stimuli.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
We work closely with external organisations, openly and warmly welcoming their partnership with our children, families and staff, whether it be through direct shadow teaching in our classrooms, or time for specialist appointments. It is our aim for every child to receive the support, love, attention or specialised learning needed to thrive.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
Our Learning Continuum, which references developmental frameworks such as the EYFS (UK Early Years Foundation Stage) and EYLF (Australian Early Years Learning Framework), outlines widely acknowledged and recognised parameters for children’s development, so we may identify if a child – for whatever reason – is not able to fall within such parameters. We then work closely with families and children in partnership for each child’s unique learning journey – and they are all just that, absolutely unique!
15. HWA International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
HWA’s close-knit community provides a wide angled view of all students within. Students’ progress is important as a milestone check of HWA’s commitment to learning. Classrooms are spread out to provide ample space for students to fully engage in their five senses and to allow learning to come alive. We believe that learning is best acquired with the ability to explore, and should not be limited. Our students learn through AVK (auditory, visual, kinaesthetic) styles, and children are blessed with being able to interact with the natural surrounds. There is virtually no gap between the playing field and classrooms. Coupled with an IB learning environment and inquiry-based learning, the framework is further supported and enhanced by the space we’ve created.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
Beside the care from homeroom teachers, the counselling team from National Institute of Education (NIE) provides additional daily social and emotional support for students who need it. Parents can request for counselling support by informing the school. The student is then placed in a monitoring programme throughout the school year.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
HWA acknowledges the learning needs of the student and care is taken during the enrolment and interview stage to understand a student. Preparation is made before class commences and teachers are well informed on all students. This mean they’re able to pick up on the need for further support. Requests for ESL/CSL support can be made as a first step in the classroom before proceeding to one-to-one coaching and consultation sessions outside of school hours. Parents will be involved throughout this process.
Read more about HWA International School
16. Singapore American School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
Every classroom is accessible for all learners on our campus. All students have access to the academic and social supports they need to be successful. At Singapore American School (SAS) this means we have classroom teachers, learning support teachers, counsellors and speech language pathologists who collaborate daily to meet the needs of all of our students across our school (PS-12).
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
Learning and social emotional supports are provided to all students to support or extend academic and social-emotional learning. This collaboration occurs daily across all grade levels. The majority of support students need is provided on our campus. On an individual basis we do partner with external support providers for resources we do not have on campus, for example, occupational therapy.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
Our teams work in collaboration to regularly review student progress using classroom assessments and standardised assessments as well as observational data. We have four licensed school psychologists who lead teams to ensure all student learning need are met.
Read more about Singapore American School
17. Global Indian International School
What dedicated facilities are provided on campus for children with different learning preferences?
The school has a dedicated space in a quiet area to ensure privacy and to minimise distractions during the learning support classes.
Are there support services provided at the school and how closely do they work with the teachers and staff? In addition, how open is the school to working with external support services?
The school provides support services to children with different learning abilities. This includes individual or small group interventions as per the need of the student – learning, behavioural, social etc. The school has a special educator who works closely with teachers, sharing information and collecting feedback on planned strategies, which is continuously reviewed and changed. As part of the process, goals are set, progress is evaluated, and support strategies are revised accordingly.
The school does work with external agencies and liaises with shadow support therapists like Speech or Occupational Therapists and Psychologists in cases when parents ask for feedback on the student’s strengths and difficulties during an assessment. The shadow teachers give regular feedback on the progress of the student and work with the school to help the student reach their full potential.
If a child is struggling in the classroom, how do you identify possible difficulties, and what steps do you take?
If a child is struggling in the classroom and the teacher observes that there is an anomaly, the coordinator and special educator are informed. The teachers try their best to ensure the early identification of learning differences in children through informal assessment, class observations, general interaction with the student, and evaluation of academic progress. This is followed by a meeting with parents before an intervention plan is implemented. Interventions such as classroom placement, assigning a buddy, more frequent contact with the class teacher, behaviour modification strategies, and parent counselling are some of the other inputs provided for children with special learning needs.
Additional exam support is also provided, such as scribes, extra time, readers, alternate question papers and exemptions from second language. Subject alternatives are also offered as per the curriculum’s policy.
Read more about Global Indian International School
Does your child need learning support? Feel free to reach out directly to these top international schools to find out more!
