Extra-Curricular Activities
Extra-curricular activities (ECAs) are an important feature of school life and contribute to our students’ social and academic development. Throughout the year, students take part in workshops and field trips which include art and sporting opportunities. We also offer students the chance to experience activities linked to national identity and cultural activities that support our students for life in the UAE. The majority of these activities take part in the school day and occasionally on the weekend as nearly all our students travel to school by bus. All ECAs provide further opportunities for students to enrich and extend their learning beyond the classroom.
Educational Visits
Students have the opportunity to attend a range of educational trips throughout their time at AKS and AKTI. These support the application of skills learnt in the classroom within the wider community. Our teachers include opportunities for students which further broaden the curriculum. This includes visits to art galleries, museums and places of work. In addition to the agreed curriculum content, this further supports the development of a solid foundation of essential knowledge and experiences to support students once they leave us. These visits develop a tolerance for external environments whilst being supported, which we know is essential for children with autism. These opportunities are carefully planned into the curriculum to ensure maximum impact.
Individual Education Plans (IEPs)
All students have an IEP (Individual Education plan). Targets are set involving all other stakeholders working with the child. These link to the long-term targets from the annual Education Therapy Plan. The IEP targets are usually evaluated at the end of each term and new short-term targets are set assuring the AET framework.
Parents’ meetings
Parents’ meetings and telephone calls are held regularly over the year. During parents’ evenings, parents have the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress with both the class teacher and specialist teacher. Parents can meet with the principal at any time (subject to availability).
Reports to parents include comments on the following subject areas:
- Early Years classes – report against Early Years areas of development
- School – maths, English, general comments
- AKTI – academic skills, preparation for adulthood strands
- Arabic department - Arabic, Islamic and social studies.
We host parent coffee mornings at Cafe Gaya, creating opportunities to meet in informal settings. We hold termly parent reference group meetings to ensure the views of our parents are represented.
