Professional development
Special educational needs
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) has made a commitment to the growing field of special educational needs (SEN). We embrace inclusive practices where developing the learning of all students is the shared responsibility of the classroom teacher and specialist support teachers.
We acknowledge the issues this commitment raises for teachers within all three programmes. Major initiatives in the past few years include:
- appointment of a full-time SEN manager
- development of publications and resources for administrators and teachers
- regional workshops to address specific needs in particular areas.
The SEN manager acts as a clear point of reference for administrators and teachers on a number of issues, including:
- personal and direct contact to discuss sensitive issues related to individual students' needs in all three programmes
- administrative queries related to the granting of special arrangements for the examination sessions in the Diploma Programme
- consultation on delivery, resources and the use of assistive technology by SEN students to access many aspects of each programme.
We have developed resources in response to many of the queries and issues raised by teachers over a period of time. These resources have been produced in a variety of formats by working parties, including:
- publications on the online curriculum centre (OCC) that can be downloaded by schools to inform staff about specific aspects of SEN, eg Candidates with special assessment needs (679 kb, PDF) for the Diploma Programme
- printed publications relating to all three programmes, eg Teaching students with particular special educational and learning needs—a resource for schools.
We are currently developing a database of material related to SEN categories on the OCC. This will be updated on a regular basis to reflect the latest developments in special education.
Commitment
The IB is committed to enabling all students to reach their full potential in order that they may become active, compassionate, lifelong learners in the twenty-first century.
"I will definitely remember and cherish it as a positive part of my life. I feel that there is a unified, friendly atmosphere in this school that is apparent at all levels."
David Farrar, owner of Gadget.com, following a period of working at The International School of Turin, Italy
