It is crucial for families that are considering placement in an international private school setting to know how various countries and institutions provide for Special Educational Needs. Still, there can be much more disparity across countries than most parents think.
For a lot of families that are considering placement at an institution where Special Educational Needs are accounted for, finding the right one is one of the hardest things to go through. This will require people gathering and filling out papers, being assessed, advocating for themselves, and waiting. Now picture going through the whole process in a different language in a country with a very different educational system and legal framework.
Many families today are facing the circumstances of relocating abroad, whether because they want to move or because they consider the way to ensure the best education for their child. While there has been a significant improvement in the area of mother-son education in international private schools over the last ten years, the differences between the institutions can still be substantial. Thus, there is a big gap between what a school claims to offer and what it manages to deliver in reality.
This article is intended for parents, education professionals, and refugees who want to clarify whether the international private school can give their children a better education than the one in their homes.
Why international private schools are increasingly relevant for SEN families
The interaction between private education and SEN provision is complex and quite contrary to what one may expect. In the UK, the independent sector has catered for children with SEN in two main ways: elite independent institutions that rarely accept children with serious additional needs; and independent specialist institutions that exist specifically to help children whose needs cannot be met in the mainstream education sector. International schools find themselves in a different category altogether, being institutions primarily aimed at catering for internationally mobile families, often offering education in English, and being variable in terms of their SEN provision owing to their ideological principles, the requirements of the host country, and the effectiveness of the leadership.
The factors that make international private schools more significant for special education needs families include several points. Firstly, the International Baccalaureate framework adopted by many schools all over the world has inclusivity principles in its principles, while traditional national educational programs don’t. Secondly, international schools feel a lot of competition in obtaining families and thus spend money on development of learning support directors. Thirdly, there are some international schools that provide special education needs services that are much better than available in local schools.
“The quality of SEN provision in international private schools is not a function of the school’s prestige or its fees. It is a function of its leadership, its culture, and its willingness to invest in the staff and systems that inclusion actually requires.”
What to look for — and what the questions behind the questions should be
Whenever a parent of child with special educational needs inquires about a school’s provision, the school will always provide assurances of its inclusive approach. The issue does not lie in whether schools proclaim inclusiveness — they all do — but the issue is whether the reality reflects it. The following questions will help you understand the true picture:
✦
Do you have a designated SENCO or Learning Support Coordinator on staff — and what is their qualification? An educational institution that truly believes in special educational needs (SEN) will have a qualified, named professional who coordinates the schools provision for SEN students. When SEN coordination is regarded as an additional duty for a teacher employed primarily as a class teacher, it indicates that inclusion is not an important strategic goal of the school.
✦ What is your ratio of learning support assistants to students with identified needs? The ratio tells you more about real resource commitment than any policy document. Ask for the actual number, not a description of the approach.
✦ Can you share examples of how you have supported students with needs similar to my child’s — and what their outcomes were? A school that has authentic experience will understand this. A school that only refers to broad statements about their inclusive culture has not undergone the level of testing needed.
✦ What external specialists do you have access to — speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists — and are they in-house or contracted? The difference matters. In-house specialists are integrated into school life and understand your child’s context. Contracted specialists visit periodically and may not.
✦ What is your policy on Individual Education Plans or equivalent documentation — and who reviews them, and how often? A school that writes IEPs and never reviews them has a document, not a system. Ask who is responsible, what the review cycle is, and how parents are involved.
✦ What happens if my child’s needs increase during their time at the school? By asking this question, it can be determined if a school has a true exit policy for students whose requirements go beyond the school’s capabilities or if the school tries to keep a student for income purposes even after that student can no longer receive appropriate services.
How different countries approach SEN in their private school sectors
The cultural and legal environment, in which an international school manages, determines its provision of services to students with special educational needs in ways that are hardly visible to parents who do not belong to the system. Knowledge of the general situation in the respective country will help families create realistic expectations before starting the search.
🇬🇧
United Kingdom
Independent sector
Strong SEN framework
The SEND Code of Practice in the UK provides a solid framework to be followed by independent schools. Many schools have made huge investments into learning support systems. Independent schools providing boarding education have the most advanced Special Educational Needs provisions across the world.
🇸🇬
Singapore
International schools
Variable but improving
Over the last ten years, there has been considerable investment in education in international schools in Singapore to meet the needs of families. Top schools have invested heavily in learning support and have dedicated departments and resources in place to assist students. While there is a solid local setup for students with special needs in Singapore, it is not basically available to expats.
🇳🇱
Netherlands
International schools
Strong legal framework
The provision of special educational needs in the Netherlands is required by law to be strong in all types of schools. International schools also work in accordance with these regulations. The country has well-established systems of support for the families of international students. One can find great providers of English-language education in the cities of The Hague and Amsterdam.
🇨🇿
Czech Republic
International schools
Growing provision
The international schools across Prague have undergone a massive transformation, and there are stark differences in provision for SEN students. Schools using the IB curriculum have better policies for inclusion. There are specialized external services, which do require travel.
🇪🇸
Spain
International schools
IB schools leading
The private educational system of Spain varies immensely. The universities of this country operating under the International Baccalaureate framework in major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga implement better inclusion strategies. The implementation of bilingual programs gives rise to additional barriers for children with communication problems, which is something families with children affected by such issues need to remember.
🇨🇦
Canada
Independent schools
Province-dependent
Canada’s private school system is recognized for its strong support of students with special educational needs (SEN), especially in Ontario and British Columbia. The regulatory environment provided by the laws of these provinces is solid. The foreign students in Canada are usually provided with not just the education they need, thanks to the public services, but with the private schools’ placements as well.
The curriculum frameworks that matter most for children with SEN
The curriculum framework selected by any international private educational institution is one of the major considerations for special education needs families, even more important than the school’s promotion of an inclusive environment. Certain frameworks are structured in a more flexible way than others to meet various requirements of students’ learning styles.
📘
International Baccalaureate (IB). In the philosophy of the IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme the principles of inclusion and differentiation are integrated. The Access and Inclusion Policy of the IB requires schools to implement reasonable accommodations for learners with disabilities. Although the actual application may differ, the framework provides leverage for parents advocating for their children’s needs.
📗
British National Curriculum (adapted for international schools). Schools that adhere to an adapted British curriculum function in a structure that UK families are familiar with. The rules behind the SEND Code of Practice are often mentioned, even in institutions established outside the UK, although they do not have the binding force of law enjoyed in England.
📙
American curriculum. Institutions that employ an American curriculum bring with them knowledge of the concept of IEP (Individualised Education Plan). Cultural expectations regarding the use of documented plans for accommodations exist in schools that use an American curriculum and can be beneficial for families with a history of having to fight for written services.
📕
Cambridge International. The alternative assessment routes and provision for students with the documented learning disabilities have been the part of the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level programme. Access arrangements, such as extended time or reader/scribe provision, can be achieved through a well-established application process on the global scale, which is especially essential for older students preparing for the examinations with significant consequences.
A note on documentation when moving internationally
The transfer of SEN documents across borders is one of the most complicated aspects involved in finding a school abroad. For example, an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) drawn up in England is not directly comparable to anything used in most other countries, nor is it recognised outside of the UK as a legal piece of paper. What the EHCP provides is a comprehensive overview of a child’s needs and provision — something that the SENCO at the international school can then follow to make their own assessment and action plan. Always request copies of all assessments, reports and provision documentation in a format that any school can work with before making any moves.
Transition: the part most families underplan
Transitions may pose greater problems for children with special educational needs than for other children. Problems can arise during transitions to a new school in a new country because of disruption of the routine, new sensory environment, a new social environment, a change of language of instruction, loss of established relationships with therapists, etc., and even children who seem to be resilient may become anxious and regress.
Those parents who plan this transition well in advance, let’s say six or twelve months before the transition occurs, manage it best. This means getting in touch with the school special educational needs coordinator before confirming the admission, providing relevant documents in advance, visiting the school if possible, and arranging a transfer plan that includes gradual introduction to the new environment and named persons waiting for your child on the first day at school.
For children with autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and severe anxiety, this kind of preparation is absolutely required.
International admissions support
The conventional process of finding an international school falls short of the needs of families with kids with special educational needs (SEN). In order to find schools that are really capable of catering to their needs, families must have enough knowledge to navigate the complex provision scene in nations they are interested in, as well as be able to deal with all the paperwork and admissions process involved.
Smapse Education, an international education consultancy (smapse.com), aims to assist families with finding and getting admission into private schools and universities abroad. Their consultants help families understand children’s special needs and educational background successfully and identify the exact schools that can offer relevant services and assist with all stages of the application process, including visa and pre-arrival formalities.
✓ School matching for SEN profiles
✓ SENCO pre-admission liaison
✓ Documentation transfer guidance
✓ Visa & admission support
✓ Transition planning advice
✓ Country-specific SEN landscape
What the research says about international school placement for children with SEN
The body of research about how SEN children do in international private schools is quite slim, which is surprising given how many families it affects. The existing research on inclusion indicates that the most important predictors of positive outcomes for children with special needs is the quality of interpersonal relationships — between the child and their relevant adult individuals, parents and schools, and learning support and classroom teachers.
This information should be a decisive factor for families when choosing an international private school. The question then should not be which school has more material resources, but rather which school can offer the right environment, leadership and interpersonal relationships so that the child feels secure and included from day one.
There is no list of questions that can give the answer to this question. However, there are certain questions that you may ask during your investigation before the final decision is made that will bring you closer to your final answer.