Parents' Association of the European School Karlsruhe e.V.

SEN – Special Educational Needs

Does your child have Special Educational Needs?

ESK is an inclusive school whose school community contains neurodivergent children with a variety of special educational needs such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, behavioural and/or emotional challenges, gifted and talented and many more.

Our SEN program aims to help students with tailored support, making the entire curriculum accessible to students who have needs that differ from neurotypical children.

Organisation of Support in European Schools:

  • The support is flexible. It takes place within the class or individually and is tailored to suit the needs of the child. Small groups can be created to fill shared gaps in learning.
  • There are 3 categories of support provided in the European School System: General, Moderate, and Intensive (both Intensive A which is longterm and Intensive B which is foreseen as short term)
  • The family may be approached by the school with a suggestion for support or the family can approach the school and ask for support if they feel their child could benefit.

Points of Note

  • Existing diagnoses must be declared upon application to the school.
  • In cases where the school is not able to provide the necessary educational support for a pupil, it can declare itself incompetent. The school is committed to assisting parents in the search for a proper educational environment.

Important Dates

  • To secure accomodations for the BAC cycle and the Baccalaureate Exam, a comprehensive psychological report must be done between October of S3 and October of S5 and the request for accomodations for the BAC must be submitted by October of S5 in preparation for S7. These rules are set out in the Procedural Document linked below.

Important Links

European School Karlsruhe Support Policy

Policy on the Provision of Educational Support and Inclusive Education in the European Schools

Provision of Educational Support and Inclusive Education in the European Schools – Procedural Document

General Rules of the European Schools

The SEN-Team at the European School:

Primary: Ingrid Bayless
Secondary:  Sophie Chabanis-Davidson 

How can the PA help with your child’s SEN needs?

Do you need confidential guidance and support from a parent who has experience with SEN at ESK? Would you like a friendly ear to listen to your worries and who understands what it is like to support a child in SEN? We in the PA are here to listen and to help you advocate for your child. Please reach out to us. Requesting support is rarely regretted but not asking when necessary often is. We are here to listen.

For more information, please contact our SEN contacts in the PA (Who’s Who?): kar-ev@partner.eursc.eu.