CLASSROOM PRACTICE REPORT Norway 1 Towards Inclusion At Hårstad

classroom practice report norway 1. towards inclusion at hårstad school 2 2. local school for all 2 3. “internal support servi

CLASSROOM PRACTICE REPORT
Norway
1. Towards Inclusion at Hårstad School 2
2. Local school for all 2
3. “Internal support service” 2
1. Towards Inclusion at Hårstad School
======================================
“Ours is an open school. This means that we are interested in
inclusion, and the pupils’ values and attitudes. We start with the
conviction that every pupil is unique. We focus on the individual
pupil’s resources and aptitudes. This is both a process and a
challenge. Even though we have not fully achieved our goals yet, we
are on our way to becoming an inclusive school.”
Nevertheless, Principal Grete Nålsund and Education Officer Aida By of
Hårstad School in the Municipality of Trondheim do not deny that they
think inclusion is difficult to implement in practice. “At the same
time, there appears to be agreement among the staff regarding this
concept. However, the way they work to implement inclusion in practice
varies from grade to grade.”
2. Local school for all
=======================
Hårstad is the local school for all of its pupils. The teaching is
organised in a flexible manner. Sometimes the pupils work in groups,
sometimes individually. The school’s management believes it is
important for the administration to set out clear guidelines regarding
the main teaching methods used. At the same time, the school tries out
new arrangements and methods, which are assessed on an ongoing basis.
The flexible utilisation of resources is also vital in this context.
Special pedagogues are part of the teaching team, while form teachers
are in charge. The administration emphasises providing teachers with
support. Aida By and Grete Nålsund believe that this is about ensuring
teachers not feeling left alone. They strive to make the school’s
entire staff feel a common sense of responsibility for all of the
pupils.
“At the same time, taking account of and basing our work on the
pupils’ academic and social skills, means that we have to allow
teachers’ to develop their own skills. We have therefore offered them
courses on teaching beginners, and preventing reading and writing
difficulties. Besides this we plan to provide them with a course about
behavioural difficulties – so they know what to do if these should
arise. We are also interested in ensuring that teachers get the time
they need for reflection and to discuss common problems and
experiences,” say Grete Nålsund and Aida By.
3. “Internal support service”
=============================
They point out that Hårstad School has a so-called “internal support
service”, which is co-ordinated by one of the special pedagogues.
Representatives of the school’s administration, the school nurse, and
the school doctor also participate in this work. They meet every
second week to discuss cases concerning teachers who need support and
pupils who require special needs education. At these meetings, pupils
who need it are, for example, referred to the PP Service or specialist
health services such as child and youth psychiatry.
By and Nålsund emphasise the importance of good school/home
co-operation, both in this context and on regular school days.
“Parents are the ones who know their children best. This means that,
for example, they should participate in the planning of their child’s
individual education plan. Parents are also invited to discussions and
kept up-to-date on an ongoing basis should their child need the
assistance of professionals at other service levels.”
“We also spend a lot of time creating a positive culture and
environment at Hårstad School. Among other things, this means that no
one who works here can afford to stagnate; we have to evolve
continuously. Besides this, there is an ongoing debate about our basic
attitudes and about us also abiding to the rules we are working with.
It is important for us to be good role models and set examples. We
have seen that this makes our pupils feel more secure,” say Grete
Nålsund and Aida By.
3
Classroom Practice Country Report
N orway