All of the key documents and policies at the International School of Creative Science – Nad Al Sheba are in line with the following anti-discriminatory legislation, regulations and associated frameworks:
Inclusion Statement
At the International School of Creative Science (ISCS), we believe passionately in the importance of inclusion, for all our children and adults, and we strive to make sure these values are at the heart of our inclusion practices and Islamic ethos. We are strongly committed to becoming a fully inclusive school, setting high expectations and ambitions for all our children, and expect them to participate in every part of school life, with a key focus on their wellbeing and progress. All potential students are not refused admission based on their SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities) diagnosis.
ISCS, by promoting an inclusive ethos, aims to support children by removing barriers to their inclusion, whether for individuals or groups of children, and respond to a spectrum of diverse needs by setting suitable challenges that are best placed to bring out the full potential from our children.
We recognise the need to implement our ethos in the classroom and beyond, to meet the needs of our children. We want them to be safe, achieve well, be healthy, enjoy life, and grow up to be successful adults who will make a positive contribution to the society in which they live.
We firmly believe that all children have an entitlement to be educated alongside their peers as much as possible and very few exceptions are made. As an inclusive school, we are committed to developing inclusive cultures, policies, and practices. We actively seek to remove the barriers to learning and participation that can hinder or exclude individual students, or groups of students by seeking the voices of all within the school community. We believe an effective school is an inclusive school.
The school is committed to the Dubai Inclusion Framework and commits to providing adequate physical and human resources, to meet the needs of students with additional needs. Students will be supported from the point of registration by following the ELP admissions process to identify their needs and match with the appropriate support.
Furthermore, we at ISCS Nad Al Sheba ensure an effective programme is in place to identify students who are gifted and talented and make certain they are provided with an abundance of opportunities to further hone and develop their gifts and talents.
As outlined by the United Arab Emirates School Inspection Framework (2015- 2016):
Gifted - The term giftedness refers to ‘a student who is in possession of untrained and spontaneously-expressed exceptional natural ability in one or more domain of human ability.’ These domains will include intellectual, creative, social, physical abilities. In the case of a gifted student, whilst exceptional potential will be present, they may actually under achieve.
Talented – The term talented refers to ‘a student who has been able to transform their ‘giftedness’ into exceptional performance. Talented students will always demonstrate exceptional levels of competence in the specific domains of human ability.
EAL
Additionally, we recognize and value the positive benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism. The term English as additional language (EAL) refers to when a learner has been exposed to a language other than English during early childhood and continues to be exposed to this language in the home or in the community. Our student body is comprised of primarily EAL students, roughly 80 percent of the student body. The school has therefore established provisions for EAL students to ensure they can access the English National Curriculum, providing where appropriate, intervention for students to address barriers in learning.
Please find the admission policy for SEND students amongst the policies listed below which details the admission process for all students including pupils of determination.
Admission Procedure for SEND Students
Maharat Learning Center
International School of Creative Science is proud to have an established partnership with the Maharat Learning Center. The Maharat Learning Center in Dubai has been established to provide children and young adults with special educational needs the tools and strategies they need to access and succeed in mainstream education. Maharat Learning Center is a smart learning center equipped with the latest state of the art technology for learning and teaching.
Link to website: https://maharatlearning.com/
Related KHDA Policies
Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education 2020:
https://www.khda.gov.ae/Areas/Administration/Content/FileUploads/Publica...
KHDA Implementing Inclusion 2019:
https://www.khda.gov.ae/Areas/Administration/Content/FileUploads/Publica...
Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework 2017:
https://www.khda.gov.ae/cms/webparts/texteditor/documents/Education_Poli...
Sanad Card
In line with the “My Community... A City for Everyone" initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, which aims to transform Dubai to a disability-friendly city by 2020, and according to the Law No. 2 of 2014 concerning the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Emirate of Dubai, the Community Development Authority (CDA) has issued the Sanad Smart Card for people with disabilities to ensure they have access to privileges and services meeting their needs, provided by different entities.
Link to website: https://www.cda.gov.ae/en/socialcare/PeopleWithDisabilities/Pages/sanadC...