There are many reasons why students have difficulties in learning. Some struggle with academic challenges such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, i.e. difficulty understanding and using letters or numbers. For others, it may be social challenges, for example linked to autism, psychosocial difficulties, or medical diagnoses such as diabetes and narcolepsy.
An important element of our work with quality
Special needs education is an important part of IES’ systematic quality work to ensure that these children also receive the support they require to achieve their learning goals. Andreas Blommé is tasked with supporting school leaders, special needs teachers and student health teams. His mission is to equip each IES school with the knowledge, resources and tools needed to meet changing needs. The foundational efforts in this area aim to fulfil the goal that all students can read, write and count by the time they leave school.
“Teachers and other school staff have a duty to make extra adjustments to teaching if they identify that a student needs support in any area. If these adjustments are not sufficient, staff have to report this to the principal. This is followed by an educational assessment and an Individualised Education Programme.
“This can involve many different types of intervention – sometimes something simple as part of the action programme, such as an oral test. Special support measures may also be implemented, such as a student with autism being met at the entrance by a member of the school staff, who tells them exactly what the day ahead holds,” says Mr Blommé.
These measures may seem relatively simple – but for the individual student, they can be crucial to their well-being and progress at school.
Systematic structure
Mr Blommé believes it is important to create a systematic and uniform structure to guide all IES schools in working with special needs education. He also believes that all the knowledge the organisation has in this area should be available to all school leaders and teachers. The needs are significant – in winter 2024-2025, 13.9 per cent of all IES students were included in some form of action programme.
“Schools also have to deal with more unusual and challenging student cases, perhaps involving legal issues, where the school needs support. One of the main challenges can be involving parents and guardians and having a dialogue about their child’s need for support to succeed at school, which can be a tough realisation for a parent. We provide teachers with ongoing training and support materials on how to deal with special needs education issues.”
“When I visit our schools, I am impressed by the commitment of our teachers, special needs educators and student health teams to meet the needs of all students. But we continuously work to improve even further,” says Mr Blommé.