Learning Support

NAIS MANILA considers each applicant on an individual basis. If the school believes that Learning Support is necessary as a condition to accept the student, the admissions team, in collaboration with the LS Coordinator, may request for further assessment information, may interview the parent and/or the student, and may contact the previous school. Other people involved in the admissions process also include the School Principal, Head of Secondary, Head of Primary, Heads of Department as necessary.

Special educational needs and disability paperwork such as assessment reports, school reports, recent and previous individual education plans or learning plans (IEPs/LPs),  are passed on to the admissions team by the parents as soon as possible or available. NAIS MANILA uses this shared information to determine if the current program will meet the student’s needs and to decide which particular LS stage and pathway the student will be placed under as part of the acceptance into NAIS Manila.

In addition to this, if the student’s first language is not English and has or might have challenges in the speaking, listening, reading or writing in English as well as accessing the curriculum, which is taught in the English language, the EAL teacher should be notified by Admissions to determine eligibility of support upon entry.

There are four tiers of support services offered by NAIS MANILA, which have an additional fee. (Please refer to the current Schedule of Fees.):

• Monitoring Stage

High-quality teaching and classroom strategies in place, teaching assistant support as applicable, and LS consultation as necessary are provided for students in this stage, who are usually seen as thriving in school even though they have additional needs or learning disabilities to consider. There is no charge for this stage.

• Learning Support Stage 1

This level of support is for students who need accommodations and will benefit from a supported learning environment with adaptations to thrive in school. Modifications to the timetable and access arrangements for exams are considered and put in place where appropriate.

• Learning Support Stage 2

This level of support is for students who need further accommodations or alternatives to the curriculum content to thrive in a supported alternative learning environment. Modifications to the timetable are and access arrangements for exams are put in place where appropriate.

• Learning Support Stage 3

This level of support will require a one on one individual support teacher in order to put extensive personalised support in place, including regular reviews of recommendations from external professionals.

If the additional services required to support students in a specific LS stage, an individual support teacher (IST), who is hired directly by the parents, may be needed to allow the student to access the curriculum. This is an additional expense to the parent.

Individual Education Plan

An individual education plan will be put in place for students in LS Stage 1, 2 or 3 and will be reviewed annually or biannually and will be implemented within the regular class to the greatest extent possible.

Testing Accommodations

NAIS MANILA adheres to testing accommodations and adjustments for candidates with disabilities and learning difficulties by following the guidelines presented by the following exam boards:

• Cambridge Assessment International Education -  Access Arrangements
• Pearson Qualifications - Access Arrangements

*applicable to Secondary School

This is the pathway for students taking the full KS3, IGCSE (KS4) and A-Levels (KS5) programme. Students take the full set of core and options subjects offered by NAIS MANILA Secondary School.

Students will attend all subjects lessons and have a full timetable, working on all the necessary and required coursework, and learning all the content needed to successfully sit the IGCSE examinations or the A-Levels.

Students on this pathway are given the opportunity to drop subject/s (usually Modern Foreign Language, which is Chinese) in consultation with the Head of Secondary and Learning Support Coordinator.

This pathway allocates up to three hours per week where the students have supervised study sessions allotted for self-study, catching up on school work and extra time for revision.

Students on this pathway are given the opportunity to undertake ASDAN short courses in lieu of IGCSE options subjects throughout the school year while they continue to pursue IGCSE core subjects (English, Maths, Science).

Students on this pathway may also drop subject/s (usually Modern Foreign Language, which is Chinese) in consultation with the Head of Secondary and Learning Support Coordinator to allow for supervised study or intervention.

The Davao Pathway allows for a tailored or personalised curriculum, which is available to students with an Individual Support Teacher (IST) after a thorough review and discussion period with the Head of Secondary School.

NAIS MANILA is a registered ASDAN Registered Centre offering the following programmes:

• Short Courses
• International Awards Programs,
• Transition to Adulthood program and
• Lifeskills Challenge.

Read more about it here.

NAIS Manila works hand-in-hand with external professionals such as special education managers, speech therapists, occupational therapists and the like in order to holistically support our students with additional needs.

Below are some of the consultants with whom we are working with:

Yolanda Quintero, MA Psychology, MEd, MPP, ALT.

Yolanda is a Dyslexia Specialist and Academic Language Therapist trained at the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center – ASDEC in the US. She offers individualized and intensive reading remediation through multisensory instruction in reading, writing, and spelling. With a background in psychology, pedagogy, and education public policy, Mrs. Quintero has a broad perspective on reading instruction as well as an in-depth knowledge of reading intervention and remediation. Her experience has benefited from work in the US, Colombia, Pakistan, and the Philippines. She brings a compassionate view of reading difficulties.

External professional support fees are handled by parents directly.

SENIA Manila Chapter

NAIS Manila is a part of SENIA Manila Chapter, a community of local and international schools in Metro Manila who advocate for individuals with special educational needs. It is under the Special Educational Network and Inclusion Association (SENIA) International.

In Touch Community Services

“In Touch Community Services is a leading provider of Mental Health Services in the Philippines. Established in 1980, it is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to promoting mental health and offering care and treatment to persons suffering from mental and emotional distress. [They] are specialists in the cross-cultural delivery of these services, and in delivery through Employee Assistance Programs.”