Inclusion Policy (PYP & MYP)
1. Purpose & Scope
Falcon Academy is committed to an inclusive learning community where every learner belongs, participates, and succeeds. This policy establishes our principles, structures, and day-to-day practices to remove barriers to learning, provide appropriate supports, and ensure access to the IB PYP/MYP curriculum for all students. It applies to all school programs, activities, and events, including field trips and extracurriculars.
2. Guiding Principles
Inclusion is a continuous process of identifying and removing barriers to access, engagement, and achievement.
General education first: all students are general-education students; specialized services supplement—not replace—access to the core program.
Strength-based approach: we plan from learners’ assets (interests, culture, language, skills) and leverage them to address challenges.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guides planning—multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression.
Shared responsibility: inclusion is a whole-school responsibility across leadership, teachers, staff, students, and families.
Alignment with IB: inclusion is the learner profile in action and a foundation for international-mindedness and service.
3. Definitions
Inclusion: An ongoing process to increase access and engagement by removing barriers so all students participate meaningfully in learning and school life.
Strength-based approach: Instruction and support decisions that start from learners’ demonstrated strengths, cultural funds of knowledge, and interests before addressing needs.
UDL: A framework that designs learning goals, materials, methods, and assessments from the outset to be flexible and accessible for diverse learners.
Access arrangements: Changes in presentation, response, setting, or timing that enable equitable demonstration of learning without lowering expectations.
Reasonable modification: Adjustments to practices or environment that do not fundamentally alter program expectations or compromise safety.
4. Governance & Collaboration
To coordinate inclusive practice, Falcon maintains the following collaborative bodies:
Academic Support Committee: stewards inclusive teaching, coordinates on-campus and online academic supports (acceleration/enrichment and scaffolds).
SEL Committee: leads well-being routines (advisory/morning meeting), restorative practices, and inclusion in behavior/attendance processes.
Service & Action Committee: guarantees accessible participation in Service as Action (MYP) and age-appropriate service (PYP) with needed scaffolds.
Arabic Language Pathway Team: monitors Language Acquisition progressions and pathways to Language & Literature (Arabic) when evidence of readiness is met.
Family Engagement Team: partners with parents/guardians on communication, learning events, and co-creation of support plans.
5. Admissions, Enrollment & Placement
Falcon admits students without discrimination based on disability, language, race, religion, sex, or any protected characteristic.
Placement decisions prioritize access to the general curriculum with peers of the same age and are reviewed with families.
Students with disabilities and multilingual learners access all programs, services, field trips, and extracurricular activities with appropriate accommodations and supports.
6. Teaching & Learning: UDL in Practice
Faculty use UDL to design flexible learning from the outset. Examples include:
Engagement: choice, relevance to culture/interests, collaborative tasks, and predictable routines.
Representation: visuals, audio, bilingual supports, models, graphic organizers, and scaffolds for academic language.
Action/Expression: varied products (oral, written, multimodal), assistive technology, and gradual release with checklists/rubrics.
Differentiation complements UDL by adjusting content, process, product, and learning environment while maintaining high expectations and clear success criteria.
7. Strength-Based Academic Supports (On-Campus & Online)
Falcon provides tutoring, coaching, and enrichment both on-campus and online. Supports are designed to either level up (extension/acceleration) or scaffold down (reteach/targeted practice) based on digital assessment data and teacher observations. Students and families help set goals and select support formats that honor learner strengths and interests.
8. Multilingual Learners & Arabic Language Pathways
Arabic as Language Acquisition with clear proficiency milestones in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Progression option to Arabic Language & Literature for students who demonstrate sustained high proficiency (portfolio and common assessments).
Integrated language development across subjects: content teachers plan language objectives and embed vocabulary and discourse supports.
Scaffolds include bilingual glossaries, sentence frames, modeled texts, guided conversations, and heritage-learner enrichment options.
9. Assessment & Access Arrangements
Assessment calendar shared with families; teachers plan access arrangements in advance (extended time, alternate setting, chunking).
Teacher-designed assessments include multiple modes of representation and expression to align with UDL.
For formal assessments, access arrangements are documented and communicated; records are maintained securely.
10. Social-Emotional Learning & Behavior
Daily SEL routines (check-in/Falcon Time) cultivate belonging, agency, and self-management.
Restorative practices emphasize relationships, repair, and reintegration after harm or conflict.
Positive classroom culture: co-constructed norms, predictable routines, and proactive de-escalation strategies.
Safety procedures and crisis response align with school policy and applicable regulations.
11. Family Engagement (Co-Design & Communication)
Two-way communication in accessible languages/formats; translation/interpretation available for all key meetings.
Family learning events (e.g., “PYP nights, MYP nights”) on IB aspects, UD, literacy/math strategies, and well-being.
Student–family–teacher conferences use portfolios, common rubrics, and next-step plans co-authored with families.
Family Engagement Team gathers feedback via surveys/focus groups and co-designs improvement actions.
Clear pathways for questions, concerns, and appeals; timelines and contacts are published on the school’s website.
12. Identification & Access to Disability Services (No MTSS/SST Labels)
Falcon follows applicable laws (e.g., IDEA/Section 504) to identify students who may need special education or accommodations; referrals can be made by staff or families at any time.
Evaluations occur with parent/guardian consent; eligibility, services, and accommodations are determined by qualified teams with family participation.
Individual plans (IEP/504) focus on strengths, measurable goals, accommodations, and access to the general curriculum and school life in the least restrictive environment.
Related services (e.g., speech-language, OT, counseling) are provided as needed; schedules protect core instruction.
All staff who work with a student are informed of relevant accommodations and their responsibilities.
13. Assistive & Educational Technology
Students may use AT such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, word prediction, visual supports, and organizational apps.
Teachers design tech-enhanced tasks that provide multiple means of access and expression; digital citizenship is taught explicitly.
Device and software requests follow a simple review and training process led by the Academic Support Committee.
14. Field Trips, Extracurriculars, & Service
All activities are accessible with reasonable modifications and risk assessments that focus on enabling participation.
Service as Action (MYP) and PYP action experiences are scaffolded; reflection options are varied (oral, written, multimedia).
Transportation, dietary, medical, and communication needs are planned with families in advance.
15. Roles & Responsibilities
Head of School/Principal: ensures staffing, time, and resources for inclusion; monitors implementation and equity.
IB Coordinators (PYP/MYP): align inclusion with programme standards, unit planning, service, and assessment.
Academic Support Committee: coordinates academic supports and AT; curates digital assessment dashboards for teacher use.
SEL Committee: supports restorative practices, well-being routines, and staff coaching.
Service & Action Committee: ensures access to service learning for all students.
Arabic Head of Department: oversees placement, progression evidence, and collaboration with content teachers.
Teachers: plan with UDL, use strength-based language, implement accommodations, communicate progress with families.
Families & Students: share goals and strengths, participate in planning, and provide feedback.
16. Professional Learning
Annual UDL institutes and refreshers; classroom coaching cycles on differentiation and assessment for learning.
Workshops on culturally and linguistically responsive teaching, restorative practices, and accessible technology.
Time for collaborative planning across grade levels and subjects to design inclusive units and assessments.
17. Data Privacy & Ethics
Student information is confidential; access is role-based and compliant with law/policy.
Only data necessary to support learning are collected; families are informed about how data are used and protected.
18. Complaints & Appeals
Families and students may raise concerns about access, accommodations, or discrimination through the school’s published complaint process. Appeals are addressed promptly by school leadership, with the option to escalate to governing authorities as required by law.
19. Monitoring & Review
Leadership reviews implementation each term (access arrangements, participation in supports/activities, and progress trends).
Annual policy review with staff, students, and families; updates approved by leadership and IB programme leads.
The school’s inclusion policy is published on the school website.
20. References & Acknowledgment
This policy reflects IB-aligned inclusive practice with emphasis on UDL and family engagement. It adapts structures and language from publicly shared IB inclusion policies while tailoring them to Falcon Academy’s context, committees, Arabic pathways, and strength-based approach
3. Support for Home and Family Languages and Support of Regional Language and Culture
In all programs, initiatives, and events, FA is conscious of and responsive to our diverse community.
We recognize the importance of supporting students’ home language as well as the regional languages and cultures that enrich our society.
This commitment is evidenced in the following:
Encouraging the maintenance and development of home languages.
Providing free simultaneous Arabic interpretation at all community events.
Translating all written communication to parents and community into Arabic.
Offering translators for conferences and meetings when needed.
Employing multiple Arabic/English bilingual teaching and support staff.
Hosting multiple cultural events and celebrations throughout the year.
Stocking libraries with a variety of Arabic-language resources.
Providing laptops for primary and middle school students to support translation needs.
4. Language Learning in the Elementary School Setting (K–5)
FA emphasizes learning through language.
Language is fundamental to learning, thinking, and communicating, and plays a central role in the curriculum.
To create a multilingual learning environment and foster global awareness and understanding, we introduce Arabic as a second language in the primary grades. Arabic instruction is provided five times a week, enabling students to participate actively while gaining confidence in the new language.
5. Student Support for Multilingual English Language Learners
To support Multilingual English Language Learners, FA provides the following:
GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) strategies to support English Language Development and access to curriculum content.
Integrated English language instruction for all students.
Daily designated English language instruction for English language learners.
Classroom differentiation to meet diverse needs.
Small group Tier 2 push-in support and online tutoring by Literacy Specialists for students requiring additional help.
6. Staff Support
Arabic Team Meetings for coordination and planning.
Collaboration between elementary and middle school language teachers regarding curriculum, assessment, and exam preparation.
Regular meetings between English and Arabic language teams to plan instruction in subjects taught in both languages.
7. Assessment
The purpose of assessment in language acquisition is to:
Determine students’ strengths and growth areas.
Guide meaningful instruction.
Improve student learning.
Inform stakeholders.
Students demonstrate their language knowledge through diverse methods including oral presentations, exhibitions, performances, and multimedia presentations in both languages.
Multiple standard measures are used to assess language proficiency in grades K–5.
8. Language Learning in the Middle School Setting (Grades 6–8)
Students have the opportunity to learn Arabic, recognizing that each student is on an individual language journey.
Our goal is to help every student reach their highest possible IB phase of second-language acquisition and/or language and literature.
Language serves as a tool for inquiry, global thinking, and communication.
9. Students Who Are Not Yet Proficient in English
Students who have not yet reached proficiency in English receive additional support inside the classroom.
English and math academic support is provided by specialists using a push-in model.
10. Language Acquisition Offerings and Pathways
At the start of each academic year, students take an Arabic language proficiency placement test to determine their phase of language acquisition.
New students enrolling mid-year also take the placement test.
FA offers three levels for students from different language backgrounds:
Level 1 & 1+: Beginner
Level 2 & 2+: Intermediate
Level 3 & 4: Advanced
This Language Continuum ensures instruction meets individual needs and supports progression in both Arabic and English.
11. Policy Review
Falcon Academy’s Language Policy is reviewed annually by the learning community.
12. References & Acknowledgment
This policy reflects IB-aligned language learning practices.
It adapts structures and language from publicly shared IB language policies while tailoring them to Falcon Academy’s context, academic support, and Arabic pathways.