integrated into a small primary school
in Discovery Bay where she is treated
like any other child. Grace has worked
hard to find the best approach and
has sought out, hired and managed
a number of ‘shadows’ over the years
to provide one-on-one support for
her daughter in the classroom, with
inclusion being a priority. This is
a full-time job for parent as well
as assistant, and daily reports and
regular meetings with the school are
integral to this approach. Finding the
right balance is important, with the
assistant needing to know when to
back off and encourage independent
learning and when to step in to help
interpret teacher instructions. Grace
says a smaller school community is
advantageous as it allows for close
contact and enables her to promote
a ‘team’ approach to her daughter’s
learning, with teacher, assistant,
principal and parents all playing a
role.
Parent involvement and ability to
advocate constantly for your child is
crucial to progress, and Trisha Tran
advises staying connected, being
observant and watching for signs of
real learning development.
The ESF approach
As well as local government-funded
schools in Hong Kong, a number
of private international schools
offer places to children with special
educational needs, as outlined in our
chart (p.35). The English Schools
Foundation (ESF) offers the most
places for English-speaking students
across its network of 22 schools, with
105 primary and 110 secondary SEN
learning support class (LSC) places
currently. In addition, there are 70
places at the Jockey Club Sarah Roe
School, the ESF’s dedicated special
school and one of only a few English-
medium-of-instruction schools in
Hong Kong that cater to children
requiring higher levels of intervention.
Nicki Holmes, SEN leader and
therapy centre manager for the
ESF, explains the Foundation’s six-
tier classification of children with
additional needs: children at levels 1-2
are in a mainstream classroom setting
and are given some additional support
to meet a specific (and sometimes
temporary) learning challenge, while
those at levels 3-4 are assessed as
having mild to moderate special needs
and hold one of the learning support
class places, where levels of adjustment
are needed to help children reach
their full potential. Children assessed
at levels 5-6 have the most complex
needs requiring a very individualised
programme, and are suited to the
Jockey Club Sarah Roe School.
Schools in the ESF network each
take their own approach to structuring
SEN support in the classroom and
responding to the individual needs of
their students, following Foundation-
wide guidance, according to Nicki.
APPLYING TO ESF FOR A SEN PLACE
• SEN applications are separate from mainstream applications.
• Applications are assessed by the moderation panel (which includes SEN advisors, educational psychologists,
managers of school learning support classes and school principals).
• The child is visited in his or her current setting and assessed on a six-tier grid of strengths and needs.
• Once the level of provision is agreed, the child is put on a waiting list for their year group.
• The application is processed as a place becomes available.
• ESF won’t reject a child who has gone through the moderation panel; he or she will stay on the waiting list until
a place opens up.
• For the Sarah Roe Jockey Club School, the panel meets only when a place opens up.
• Secondary school places are offered to holders of primary SEN places (if the same level of support is needed).
May 2016
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