The Access Centre also offers a variety of career related activities, such as
The Special Education Needs (SEN) department is designed to provide assistance and care to our differently abled learners. Our SEN coordinator determines each child’s individual needs and tailors a program that provides special services and learning support. Teachers collect and analyze data to monitor progress of students, with the aid of specialized NGRT tests and CAT 4 testing. Students diagnosed with emotional,psychological and behavioral instability also receive special care,assistance and facilitation from the SEN Coordinator. There is a team of trained,assigned shadow teachers on board with the SEN Coordinator to facilitate each differently abled student with one on one support.
Learning Support program is a meticulously designed program incorporating the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. DIBELS are a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy and reading skills. Our phonics and reading specialists conduct DIBELS periodically, to assess PYP students reading proficiency against key benchmarks.
The Access Center at Newlands Islamabad facilitates students in selecting their careers and getting admissions in universities of their choice. Our experienced career advisors have an open-door policy and are readily available to students in school and, via e-mail. Assistance is provided in:
• Admissions Essays
• Compiling and sending documentation to universities
• Financial aid applications
• Entrance and standardized test preparation
• Visa related paper work
The Dynamic Speaker events series events organized at Newlands Islamabad introduces students to new and alternative career paths by interacting with industry experts. Our aim is to create a holistic approach to counselling, work closely with students and families to engage in active decision-making and, ensure the best possible future to meet each student’s needs.
At Newlands Islamabad, we believe that in order to maximize the true potential of each child, it is imperative that we first diagnose the strengths and challenges correctly and accurately. Diagnostic testing is an effective means of doing so.
(Grade III and above), all students undergo the NGRT (new group reading test) by GL assessments. The NGRT is a diagnostic test that measures the reading and comprehension skills and age of a child. It also provides solutions to overcome challenges for both the school and the parent.
For Grades KG to five, we also conduct DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) which is a series of short tests that assess K-8 literacy. It is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of a set of K-8 literacy skills, such as phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. DIBELS at Newlands Islamabad is conducted four times a year to ensure that the reading levels for Newlands Islamabad Primary students are at par with those of international standards. Based on the collected data, appropriate and required intervention is put in place and students are provided with learning support.
For Middle and Senior School (MYP and IBDP), all students undertake the CAT4 test by GL Assessment. CAT4 is most widely used in the UK for students aged 6 – 17+ years. It is an assessment of developed abilities in areas that greatly influence learning and achievement – namely verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning. Interestingly, CAT4 also provides indicators as to how a child will perform in International exams such as IGCSEs and IBDP. It also provides support in terms of strategies to be used to close gaps in any of the four above-mentioned areas.
The Special Education Needs (SEN) department is designed to provide assistance and care to our differently-abled learners. Our SEN coordinator determines each child’s individual needs and tailors a programme that provides special services and learning support. Teachers collect and analyse data to monitor students’ progress with the aid of specialised NGRT tests and CAT 4 testing. Students diagnosed with emotional, psychological and behavioural instability also receive special care, assistance and facilitation from the SEN Coordinator. There is a team of trained, assigned shadow teachers on board with the SEN Coordinator to facilitate each differently-abled student with one-on-one support.
The Learning Support program is carefully designed to integrate the use of IXL based on students’ specific needs as identified by their performance in MAP assessments. IXL is strategically employed for remediation, allowing for targeted practice in areas where students show gaps or need additional reinforcement. Our personalized one-on-one learning support offers tailored guidance to each student, ensuring focused attention from experienced instructors.
Through this program, students receive customized learning pathways via IXL, which adapts to their individual progress and challenges. Teachers work closely with students to clarify concepts, answer questions, and provide scaffolded support, helping them build a strong foundation of knowledge. By using IXL for continuous practice and feedback, the program ensures that students not only close learning gaps but also develop the skills necessary to excel academically.
Expert advice on university admissions is available on campus through The Access Centre which facilitates students in selecting their career paths and securing admissions in universities of their choice. Our experienced career advisors have an open-door policy and are readily available to students in school and online. Assistance is provided in:
The Access Centre also offers a variety of career-related activities, such as:
At Beaconhouse Newlands Islamabad, we use both the NWEA MAP Growth and IXL platforms as part of a comprehensive and balanced assessment strategy for grades K to 11. MAP Growth, one of the most trusted and innovative tools for K–12, measures achievement and growth in math, reading, language usage, and science. In tandem with IXL, which provides personalized learning experiences, we can better support student progress at all levels.
By leveraging MAP Growth data, we confidently tailor instruction to meet each student’s needs, whether they are below, at, or above grade level. Student reports from MAP Growth present realistic, subject-specific learning goals, which we align with the curriculum under the guidance of subject leads to enhance student outcomes. Using the IXL platform alongside MAP Growth insights, teachers access standards-aligned reports and actionable evidence, helping them adjust instructional strategies to target each student’s growth, regardless of where they stand relative to grade-level expectations. This approach enables us to personalize classroom instruction, bridge learning gaps, and implement targeted interventions across the IB continuum.
We also share important data with parents, including students’ percentiles, areas of strength, focus areas, projected growth, and college readiness predictions. MAP Growth scores enable us to identify students at risk of falling short on key college assessments, allowing us to direct resources and instruction to better support their academic progress. Based on NWEA linking studies, students are grouped into predicted proficiency categories that align MAP Growth RIT scores with College and Career Readiness benchmarks, giving us reliable predictions of student performance on exams like the SAT and other achievement tests
Our facilities include the Learning Tower, our school library. Much more than a traditional library, it is a place where diverse and varied ideas, thoughts and viewpoints flourish, and where research is fostered as a lifelong learning skill. We believe that the school library is a learning hub that should provide essential support for teaching and learning in the classroom.
The Learning Tower is a three-storey building designed to create an environment where students can engage in different activities that promote a love of reading and research. The Learning Tower houses over 23000+ books and reference material, besides digital resources covering a wide range of topics. The ICT suite is on the top floor and has computers for research, multimedia projectors, as well as a dedicated space for robotics.
It is a resource centre for both individual and collaborative work for students and staff alike. Library lessons are utilised for issuing books to students, as well as for providing opportunities for different activities such as reading sessions, book review competitions, vocabulary and word games.
In line with our mission statement, we foster international mindedness by celebrating international days and events such as International Peace Day, World Dignity Day, Mothers’ Day, and World Book Day, which enable students to be aware of international issues as well as providing learning experiences. At the Learning Tower we teach our students to respect and protect resources, develop a strong sense of community, and increase their understanding of the world in which we live. It is our most powerful learning space for creating life-long learners.
The artistically-designed and cutting-edge auditorium at Newlands Islamabad serves as the venue for memorable and spectacular performances that bring imagination and creativity to life. This facility is used for student events and activities and can accommodate up to 350 people.
Activities held here help students build self-confidence and acquire 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, media & information literacy, communication & social skills, and self-management skills. Additionally, events help foster love and an appreciation of the arts and culture.
