Teach Middle East Magazine Nov-Dec 2017 Issue 2 Volume 5 | Page 12

Sharing Good Practice

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE TOGETHER AT THE JUMEIRAH ENGLISH SPEAKING SCHOOL

BY EMMA DIBDEN
discussing results in regular meetings to examine the progress of all our students .
If a child ’ s attainment isn ’ t aligned with CAT4 scores or there is a discrepancy of more than 20 points between the individual strands of the assessment , we apply our ‘ graduated response ’ strategy .
On a case-by-case basis , this calls on additional assessments to identify the potential barriers to learning – for example , assessments of visual and auditory-verbal memory , as well as reading and reasoning . This approach gives us a telescopic view and pinpoints specific areas of difficulty .
The school keeps parents informed at all stages . We need to work in partnership for children to be happy and successful . Any issues are discussed with parents as part of our process of evaluating the whole child and unlocking individual learning challenges .

Jumeirah English Speaking School ( JESS ) is a high achieving primary school in Dubai with a renowned reputation . Our globally diverse register of over 700 children includes students from many nations , including the Emirates , many of whom have English as an additional language but the majority are accomplished English speakers .

As with many international schools , the student population is very transient but no matter how long a child is with us , we take our responsibility to spot barriers to learning very seriously .
Some children have additional learning or language needs that we know about on admission , but we don ’ t want any child to slip through the net . To gain an insider view into a child ’ s strengths and areas for development , and enable us to respond early to need , we have carefully selected which assessments we use .
As a starting point , we use the Cognitive Abilities Test ( CAT4 ). This assessment measures the four main types of reasoning ability that are known to make a difference to learning and achievement : verbal , non-verbal , quantitative and spatial ability .
This helps us explore academic potential , and we use the data alongside other tests to check for a disparity between ability and achievement . Inclusion is a focus for the UAE and an important part of how we operate at JESS . If we are not seeing appropriate progress for a child ’ s ability , we need to either adapt the curriculum or delve further .
We have high expectations for all our children , so it ’ s important to root out any specific areas of difficulty for them . We analyse results carefully ,
As part of the Knowledge and Human Development Agency ( KHDA ) requirements , schools must test ability . Using external assessments alongside our internal ones absolutely helps with our KHDA inspection , but it ’ s not just a mark on the page for us . It allows us to internationally benchmark our pupils , and personalise their learning . It also enables us to create a dialogue across the school , which in turn helps us meet the children ’ s needs .
Our approach brings consistency across all year groups , and helps us spot trends and patterns . We can filter and identify those who aren ’ t reaching age related expectations as well as those who are gifted . And not only can we explore these groups in detail , we can respond to them very early on to appropriately support and challenge all our children .
Emma was a mainstream class teacher in the UK before moving to Dubai and completing the National Award for SEN Coordination . In 2014 , she became Head of Learning Support at Jumeirah English Speaking School . Her role as a member of the Dubai SEN Network committee has helped to provide CPD opportunities for the SEN professional community ; including the MENA SEN Conference , in partnership with the Al Jalila Foundation .
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