Udgam School for Children

Udgam School provides an inclusive, supportive environment that prioritizes social and emotional development. A School Counsellor helps students with academic, social, behavioural and emotional needs and collaborates with teachers, parents and special educators to create a healthy learning atmosphere. There are counsellors for each school section (primary, middle, and secondary) to support students across the grades. School psychologists focus on wellness, social skills, problem solving, anger management, self-regulation and optimism, and they work with families to address barriers to learning. Counselling services and parent workshops are routinely arranged to assist with special learning or behavioural needs.

Udgam School follows an Inclusion/Special Education Needs framework aligned with IB philosophy. There is no single approach to learning; special education teachers use visual, auditory and tactile materials and the Learning Process leverages Multiple Intelligences to support different learners. Identification of learning support needs occurs during admission, with documents reviewed by an admission panel; the School Counsellor and CRS teachers assess and document recommendations for the Admissions Panel. Indicators for special education include learning difficulties, emotional or behavioural challenges, specific learning difficulties, sensory or physical needs, communication problems and medical conditions. Eligibility is determined through a comprehensive evaluation, and individualized plans (IEPs) are developed with appropriate interventions and accommodations, including extended time, technology aids and separate examination arrangements where needed. Arrangements in examinations can include separate rooms, seating adjustments, assistants, aids, hearing instructions and magnifying devices, with some accommodations requiring prior IB authorization. The school aims to integrate students with learning needs into the mainstream classroom wherever possible.

English is the medium of instruction at Udgam School. The school creates a multilingual environment and supports use of English alongside students' mother tongues to foster intercultural understanding. Internal and external communications, governance, projects and day‑to‑day activities are conducted in English to promote language proficiency. The language policy emphasizes English language development through speaking, listening, reading and writing, with English described as the primary language of instruction and a focus on multilingual literacy. The school recognizes that most students speak English and Gujarati, and supports mother tongue development (Gujarati and other languages) with school assemblies, language festivals and classroom activities. Students are encouraged to devote at least 50 hours to core language development using various modalities, and teachers are viewed as language teachers who upskill to support language learning. The language policy is reviewed annually.

Udgam School provides mental wellbeing support through its counselling framework. Three full‑time counsellors (one per section) offer counselling to address social, emotional and behavioural concerns and to promote wellness, social skills, problem solving, self‑regulation and optimism. Counsellors work with students to identify barriers to learning, design interventions and support home–school collaboration, alongside collaboration with teachers and parents. All students have access to confidential counselling sessions, and counsellors can visit classrooms or meet privately as needed. The counsellors and special educators also arrange workshops for parents and staff to address learning or behavioural needs.

Confidentiality in counselling is maintained, with explicit exceptions if there is a risk of harm to the student or others. The school provides clear pathways to contact the counsellors, including private appointments, and counsellors may engage with families to support student wellbeing. School psychologists are described as identifying and addressing learning and behaviour problems, evaluating eligibility for support services, and promoting students' social, emotional and behavioural health, with collaboration across teachers and families. Parents are encouraged to approach counsellors for guidance, and counsellors frequently organise workshops for parents dealing with special learning or behavioural needs.