UWCSEA in Singapore recognises that each student’s learning is unique and requires additional learning support at different times. The College shares how help is provided for a holistic educational experience.
How does UWCSEA in Singapore empower learners?
The UWCSEA Mission is to create a peaceful and more sustainable future through an inclusive community. The College offers a holistic, flexible and bespoke learning experience for all students, including those with additional learning support needs. UWCSEA’s inclusive learning programme intentionally supports students with diverse cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds.
Recognising the unique strengths, abilities and individual needs of each student, we provide a range of tailored instructional approaches and support devices. This ensures a fulfilling and enriching learning experience for all.
How does the College create a holistic educational experience?
UWCSEA is committed to supporting students whose holistic needs can be met within the scope of our bespoke learning programme. In making this assessment, we consider not only a student’s learning needs and how they impact their learning but also ensure that we can provide them with a holistic educational experience.
Ensuring that a all students can participate fully and are appropriately stimulated, the learning support focuses on both access and challenge.
The key areas that the College has identified for additional support include:
- foundational literacy and mathematics
- attention
- social-emotional skills
- communication
By addressing these areas, the College aims to create a learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of all our students. In this way, students with additional needs are supported within the scope of the College’s bespoke learning programme.
What are some ways that the College extends additional learning support to students?
We provide targeted interventions for students who have been identified as needing additional support to meet learning outcomes. There are a variety of programmes and service delivery models, and we’re working towards a globally recognised framework for providing effective instruction and intervention.
The premise is to meet the student where they are and develop their skills, knowledge, and understanding from there.
Our teachers and dedicated Student Support staff have also put in place strategies to support access and challenge. This ensures that all students have access to our learning programme and are also appropriately challenged.
We believe that parents play an important role in this journey of providing support to students with additional needs. An open and positive partnership between members of the UWCSEA community is critical to our scaffolded approach to learning support.
Both the Dover and East campuses also have a Neurodiversity Parent Support Group formed by parent volunteers who encourage peer-to-peer discussions and foster a strong support network.
Are there more options for students who need extra help?
The College has experienced Student Support teams. They know the importance of identifying additional learning needs early, allowing our educators to provide timely support. This ensures that students have the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to succeed in all five elements of the College’s learning programme.
The Student Support teams work closely with the Wellness and Counselling Centre. Qualified counsellors support student learning by ensuring positive social and emotional development and outcomes. When additional support is needed, the teams may collaborate with external specialists such as speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists or educational psychologists. This allows for a comprehensive assessment of the student’s needs and ensures that students receive the most appropriate support.
Are there facilities available for this as well?
UWCSEA in Singapore fosters a safe learning environment in all aspects, including our learning support and wellness spaces.
For example, there’s a dedicated sensory-supportive space at the Dover campus for High School students to reflect and recharge. The space was created to support students with a range of different learning needs. It includes a garden, quiet reflective spaces and a sensory dark room.
The East campus offers a range of spaces in the Middle and High School Hub, designed to support diverse learning needs. These include dedicated sensory spaces for students who require a calm environment and collaborative areas for group work. There are also private coaching spaces where students can work one-on-one with academic coaches on personalised learning goals.
Tell us more about the use of technology in UWCSEA in Singapore.
The College recognises the potential of technology to enhance learning experiences for our learners. We strive to integrate age-appropriate technology and assistive devices seamlessly into all classrooms from K1 to Grade 12.
When teaching students with specific learning needs, teachers integrate specialised software to help them learn more effectively.
For example, the software can help students with reading difficulties – it helps read text aloud, aids in organising information for those with ADHD or weaker working memory and provides definitions for English language learners. Similarly, this same software can be helpful to students without identified needs, offering versatile tools to support their learning journeys.
With a diverse student community of different backgrounds, languages and learning needs, UWCSEA in Singapore continues to build support systems. This ensures that students can access the education programme and feel supported in their journey at the College.
- 1207 Dover Road | 6775 5344 | uwcseadover@uwcsea.edu.sg
- 1 Tampines Street 73 | 6305 5344 | uwcseaeast@uwcsea.edu.sg
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