Support for Students with Diverse Needs

What is Westmont’s policy regarding including and offering support to Students with Diverse Needs?

We recognize that some children require additional support in order to optimize their learning in a school setting. In keeping with the belief that all children can learn and that children learn at different rates, and with the value of including students with a range of abilities, Westmont embraces the inclusion of students with diverse needs in the school. This includes children with challenges at either end of the learning spectrum. Within its financial means, Westmont School will make every reasonable effort to include students with diverse needs and adapt the environment and program to meet their learning needs, while not compromising the learning needs of other children. New admissions to our program are assessed according to our Special Needs Policy and follow the criteria listed there.

What type of services does Westmont offer to students with diverse needs?

Students with diverse needs often require additional staffing and/or staff time to modify or adapt the Montessori program. Westmont employs a Resource Teacher who provides assistance to the whole school population, through direct instruction with students or by providing assistance to the teachers in the construction of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and performing some diagnostic testing. Other specialist services such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and physical therapy are not provided unless these services are explicitly identified as being provided by Westmont in the IEP of a student.

Does Westmont have funding for all the support students with diverse needs will need in a classroom?

Westmont will provide support from its in-school resources to those students who are categorized as Special Needs but who do not qualify for Special Needs Funding. The availability of those resources is discussed with the family prior to the admission of the student. The types of assistance provided will be determined based on the education goals in the student’s IEP.

For the student categorized as Special Needs who qualify for Special Needs Funding, additional funding can be received by Westmont from the Ministry of Education, which will be pooled into our special needs budget. Westmont also allocates funds in excess of the government grants received to run our special needs programming.