Access and Inclusion Policy

Ressun lukio considers difference and diversity to be qualities that enrich the school community.

To the best of our ability, we try to respond positively to people’s unique needs. We hope to show caring and open-mindedness in the spirit of the IB Learner profile. We encourage students to be open and actively seek advice on these matters.

The student welfare services are organised in each school in Finland and they are mandated by the law. The welfare of the students refers to the physical, mental and social well-being of students. The support services offered aim to support studies and prevent problems at an early stage.

At the start of studies here, new students are asked if there is anything they would like to share with the school regarding possible special needs. Parents/guardians, too, are encouraged to contact the school.

The students are assigned to a group teacher/tutor, who will supervise, support and guide them for the length of their studies here. The teacher meets the students assigned to their care at regular intervals. The group teachers are the primary link between the school and the home. They also serve as CAS Advisors.

The IB section of our school has 3 student counsellors whose task is to guide the students and help them with their problems, both school-related and personal. One of them is full-time devoted to the DP students and the other two split their time between the IB DP students and the students in the national programme. They have Master’s degrees and are also fully qualified teachers. Their offices are generally open from 9 am to 3 pm and students can make an appointment to see them via a link in Wilma.

The school nurse is available every day (either at RK23 or Kalevankatu). The doctor is available by appointment only.

Students can contact the school psychologist(s) to make an appointment. The teachers can also contact the psychologist if they are concerned about a student.

The special needs teacher's main task is to help students with different learning problems, for example dyslexia. The teacher meets students in small groups or on an individual basis.

The school social worker advises students with financial or social problems.

The school has a student welfare group, which organizes two types of meetings:

·   Regular student welfare group meetings are about the welfare of the whole school, concerned with e.g school structures or school events. The team is multi-professional, consisting of deputy principals, the coordinators, student counsellors, the special needs teacher, the school nurse, the social worker, the school psychologist.

·   Tailored meetings are organised when the topic is the welfare of an individual student. The team is a multi-professional team, tailored to best suit each case. The student in question is always present.

Students who require special access arrangements must contact the special needs teacher, student counsellor or DP Coordinator to start the process of evaluating their access arrangement needs. If special access arrangements are needed, it is possible and recommended to try out the arrangements during IB DP studies. Inclusive access arrangement requests for final exams (extra time, use of computer etc) must be approved of by the IB organisation, require appropriate medical/psychological + pedagogical documentation and must be the student's usual way of working during the course of study.