The British School of Monaco is able to make provision for students who have certain specific learning difficulties, for example dyslexia, or who have a need for specialist or additional help in some areas of their learning.
a) Identification of needs
Students requiring Learning Support will normally have been identified, and may already be receiving support before joining the school. Parents of such students are asked to ensure they have made contact with the Head of Learning Support before their son or daughter joins the school, and they must make available any documentation, such as Educational Psychologist assessments.
Where students have not previously been identified, or have been identified only through assessed procedures, a full assessment can be arranged (see fee sheet for details of charges). All new Lower Sixth students are assessed for possible learning difficulties during the first few weeks of term. Where our screening process indicates a difficulty, we will contact parents and recommend further assessment and, in some cases, extra support. In order to receive extra time in examinations or other access arrangements from the examination boards, students with special learning difficulties will require a full assessment and should be able to demonstrate that they have received continued support from school and that there is evidence of need. Students and parents should be aware that the examination boards are becoming more stringent and that a student who has had extra time at GCSE level will not automatically receive extra time at A Level.
The examination boards stipulate that students must be assessed by an appropriately qualified specialist who is employed by, or known to, the school. Most assessments will be conducted by the Head of Learning Support or our in-house Educational Psychologist. The British School of Monaco will not accept privately commissioned Educational Psychologist reports for the purposes of applying for examination concessions.
b) Support teaching for students with Special Educational Needs
The British School of Monaco facilitates the provision of specialist teachers for Learning Support, both mainstream academic subject teachers and teachers with experience in Special Educational Needs. Students may receive one-to-one lessons with a specialist teacher at an extra cost. These lessons are normally arranged in the student’s free time.
Some Sixth Form students take advantage of regular weekly support lessons throughout their time in the Sixth Form. Students with a specific literacy need who would like supplementary reading or essay writing support should contact the Learning Support team.