Specialist services in nursery and primary schools

Nursery schools have a Head of Special Education whose task it is to provide advice to parents.

Other specialised services, such as the services of psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and special education advisers, are provided by the nursery school division of the Kópavogur Department of Education. Further information is provided by Anna Karen Ásgeirsdóttir, Special Education Adviser,
tel.: 441 0000, e-mail: annak@kopavogur.is

Speech therapists, student and career counsellors and psychologists are employed at all schools under the management of the head teacher. If parents seek the assistance of the school specialists, they make their request to their child's supervising teacher or the school management.

Other specialised consultancy, such as educational or vocational counselling, is provided by the Primary School Division of the Kópavogur Department of Education. For further information, contact Tómas Jónsson, Specialist Services Adviser, tel.: 441 0000, tomas@kopavogur.is

Meetings are held in March/April of each year for children who are transferring from nursery school to primary school. At these meetings, nursery school staff provides information to the primary school and Dægradvöl (after-school-hours child care) about the status of each child. In particular cases, meetings are held with parents and representatives from both school stages. There are also mutual visits between staff from both stages to ensure a seamless start to school attendance.

When transferring from primary school to secondary school, the primary school must submit a detailed report for students who have received extensive support in their studies. Parents, the students, teachers and other professional entities are to participate in shaping the report, the so-called transfer schedule (for further information, see the Regulation on Primary School Students with Special Needs and the Regulation on Secondary School Students with Special Needs).

A child can, with the authorisation of the primary school headteacher and a review by specialist services, commence primary schooling before the age of six and graduate from primary school after less than ten years of primary schooling. Such a decision is taken in consultation with the parents and the management of the school in question. A child can, with the authorisation of the nursery school commission and a review by specialist services and the nursery and primary school head teachers, stay a year longer in nursery school.

For further information, see the Guidelines on accelerating and delaying children between nursery and primary school and Guidelines on the acceleration of education completion in Kópavogur primary schools.