Support services

The purpose of the Learning Support Team at ISP is to advocate for and support students, teachers, and parents in the provision of differentiated programs, to ensure that everyone is included, challenged – and successful. At ISP we believe that all students should have equal access to learning opportunities.

The Learning Support Team at ISP recognise that all students have a unique learning profile and use a flexible range of developmentally appropriate strategies to meet diverse learning needs. Key parts of this approach are to support both formally and informally identified students,  collaborate in finding ways to best meet the needs of every individual student, monitor student progress and performance and support learners in the classroom and small group settings.

ISP does not charge additional fees for support services (English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Learning Support).

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

We provide EAL support for students whose current level of English (speaking, listening, reading, or writing) limits their access to the curriculum. Our EAL specialists work to increase students’ English proficiency through a literacy and language-based program. It is a “sheltered immersion” program, in which students develop their English skills within the regular curriculum.

The EAL support we are able to provide is dependant upon the number of students already enrolled in EAL at the relevant grade level.

EAL Admissions Requirements and Assessments

Grade LevelProficiency Requirement at time of AdmissionsAssessment(s) usedSkills AssessedPurpose of Assessment
PK-KGNoneInterview, Pre LAS KG = WIDAListening, speakingPlacement
Grades 1-5NoneWIDAListening, speaking, reading, writingAdmissions & Placement
Grades 6-7NoneWIDAListening, speaking, reading, writingAdmissions & Placement
Grades 8Social language + Basic AcademicWIDAListening, speaking, reading, writingAdmissions & Placement
Grades 9-10Social language + Academic languageWIDA + Academic listening and vocabulary tasksListening, speaking, reading, writingAdmissions & Placement
Grades 11-12ProficiencyWIDA + Academic listening, vocabulary and written tasksListening, speaking, reading, writingAdmissions & Placement

Learning Support

Learning Support is part of the instructional continuum of services we provide to meet the diverse learning needs of our students. The exact number of students we can support is dependent on the resources the School has available at any given time.

Supporting Documentation

Parents or guardians of any applicant who requires additional support must submit complete supporting documentation with the application. Such documentation might include an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that outlines the level of support required; Assessment Reports which show the student’s current level of performance; and any diagnosis or recommendations for intervention and accommodation (such as occupational therapy and/or psycho-educational testing).

As part of this process, we may interview the applicant, and the Admissions Committee may request that a psycho-educational evaluation be conducted before we make a decision.

Please note

During the application process, it is not in the student’s best interest to withhold information that would allow the school to make a determination as to whether the school can support the student’s learning and wellbeing. If, after admission, it is discovered that such information existed but was not provided, we reserve the right to withdraw our offer of admission or to not offer re-enrolment.

Level of Support Provided

We support students with Mild Learning Difficulties (MLD) who require “accommodation” but not “modification.”  Accommodations do not fundamentally change instructional level, content, or performance criteria during instruction or assessment, while modifications require different benchmarks, modified curriculum, and performance criteria.

A student with MLD, given appropriate accommodations, functions within the regular classroom and focuses on the same learning outcomes as all students. We do not have a program for students who require a self-contained learning environment or a completely separate curriculum.

When reviewing the application of a student with specific needs, the Admissions Committee takes into consideration the current number of students receiving learning support in that grade. Despite a diagnosis of MLD, we will only offer admission when the Admissions Committee determines that we can provide the level of support required for the student to be successful.