Integrated Pupil Guidance and the Continuum of Care (Leerlingenbegeleiding)

Rationale

The Decreet van 27 april 2018 concerning pupil guidance in primary education, secondary education, and pupil-guidance centers (CLB) is the most legally anchored professional-development duty in the Flemish Community. It obliges every school to implement an integrated policy spanning educational pathway, learning and studying, psychological and social functioning, and preventive health care. This course equips teachers and care coordinators to design, execute, and evaluate that policy, meeting the school's obligation under the Decreet betreffende de kwaliteit van onderwijs van 8 mei 2009. In the French Community, the Pacte pour un Enseignement d'excellence embeds analogous accompaniment duties, making the course relevant across both large Communities. The continuum-of-care model, handelingsgericht werken, and multidisciplinary consultation are core professional competencies that the Flemish basiscompetenties and beroepsprofiel require of experienced teachers.

Part I: Foundations (Lessons 1-4)

Lesson 1. The four guidance domains defined

Participants examine the four domains mandated by the Decreet van 27 april 2018: educational pathway (onderwijsloopbaan), learning and studying (leren en studeren), psychological and social functioning (psychisch en sociaal functioneren), and preventive health care (preventieve gezondheidszorg). The lesson clarifies what each domain requires in practice, using case examples from primary and secondary school contexts. Participants map their current school's guidance activities to the four domains and identify gaps. The session establishes that the decree does not treat the domains as separate silos but as an integrated whole that every school must address through a single coherent policy. Participants leave able to name each domain, describe its statutory content, and audit their own school's current coverage against the decree's requirements.

Lesson 2. From care policy to guidance policy

This lesson addresses the transition many Flemish schools must make from a traditional zorgbeleid (care policy) focused on special needs to the broader integrated guidance policy the 2018 Decree requires. Participants analyze the differences between a reactive care model and a proactive guidance model that serves all pupils. The session presents a step-by-step process for auditing existing care documents, identifying where they fall short of the decree's four-domain scope, and restructuring them into a compliant guidance policy. Participants practice rewriting sample care-policy excerpts into guidance-policy language that covers all pupils, not only those with identified needs. The lesson grounds this work in the decree's requirement that the policy be preventive, developmental, and school-wide.

Lesson 3. The continuum of care model

Participants study the phased escalation model that underpins the Flemish guidance framework: broad-based support for all pupils (phase 0), targeted group interventions (phase 1), individual support within the school (phase 2), and referral to external specialist services including the CLB (phase 3). The lesson uses real school scenarios to illustrate how a pupil moves through the continuum and what documentation and consultation each phase requires. Participants practice identifying which phase a given pupil situation belongs to and what actions the school must take at each level. The session emphasizes that the continuum is not a ladder to climb but a flexible framework for matching support intensity to need, and that the school's guidance policy must describe how each phase operates.

Lesson 4. The role of the CLB

This lesson clarifies the division of labor between the school and the pupil-guidance center (Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding, CLB). Participants learn which guidance tasks the school must perform autonomously and which require CLB involvement, particularly for phase 3 support. The session covers the CLB's four mandated domains, which mirror the school's domains, and explains the consent and information-sharing protocols that govern the school-CLB relationship. Participants practice drafting a referral to the CLB that meets the decree's documentation standards. The lesson also addresses the CLB's role in the verontrusting (concern) pathway and in preventive health screenings. Teachers leave understanding that the CLB is a partner, not a replacement for the school's own guidance capacity.

Part II: Core Practice (Lessons 5-10)

Lesson 5. Handelingsgericht werken (needs-based practice)

Participants learn the cyclical, evidence-informed methodology of handelingsgericht werken (HGW), the standard approach to pupil support in Flemish schools. The lesson covers the seven HGW principles: focusing on needs, being goal-oriented, working systematically, collaborating with pupils and parents, using positive framing, being transparent, and evaluating outcomes. Participants practice applying the HGW cycle to a case: gathering data, formulating hypotheses, setting SMART goals, implementing interventions, and evaluating progress. The session connects HGW to the decree's requirement that guidance be systematic and evidence-informed. Teachers leave able to lead an HGW conversation with colleagues and to document the process in the pupil file.

Lesson 6. Early school-leaving prevention

This lesson addresses the educational pathway domain's requirement that schools actively prevent early school leaving (vroegtijdig schoolverlaten). Participants study the risk indicators the decree identifies: absenteeism patterns, course failure, disengagement signals, and family mobility. The session presents a tiered prevention framework: universal monitoring of attendance and engagement, targeted interventions for at-risk pupils, and intensive reengagement plans for those already disengaged. Participants practice designing an early-warning system using attendance data, grade patterns, and teacher observations. The lesson also covers the school's duty to coordinate with the CLB and with external youth services when a pupil is at imminent risk of dropping out. Teachers leave able to implement a systematic early-leaving prevention protocol.

Lesson 7. Learning-support planning

Participants focus on the learning and studying domain, which requires schools to support all pupils in developing effective learning strategies and study skills. The lesson distinguishes between learning support for typical learners, for pupils with specific learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia), and for high-ability pupils. Participants practice designing differentiated learning-support plans that include study-skill instruction, executive-function coaching, and assistive technology. The session emphasizes that learning support must be documented in the pupil file and coordinated with classroom instruction. Teachers leave able to assess a pupil's learning needs, design an appropriate support plan, and monitor its effectiveness using the HGW cycle.

Lesson 8. The psychosocial domain in practice

This lesson equips participants to recognize and respond to pupils' social-emotional difficulties within the psychological and social functioning domain. The session covers common presentations: anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, aggression, and peer-relationship problems. Participants learn a structured observation and documentation protocol that distinguishes between normal developmental variation and concerns requiring intervention. The lesson emphasizes the school's role in providing a supportive classroom climate and in referring pupils to the CLB or external mental health services when needs exceed the school's capacity. Participants practice writing a psychosocial concern note that is factual, non-judgmental, and useful for multidisciplinary consultation. Teachers leave able to identify psychosocial concerns early and to activate the appropriate support level on the continuum.

Lesson 9. Preventive health care duties

Participants examine the preventive health care domain, which requires schools to collaborate with the CLB on health screenings, vaccination programs, and health education. The lesson clarifies the school's role in facilitating screenings, communicating with parents, and following up on identified health needs. Participants learn the schedule of mandatory screenings (vision, hearing, growth, dental) and the school's duty to accommodate pupils with chronic health conditions. The session also covers the school's role in promoting healthy lifestyles: nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and substance-use prevention. Teachers leave able to coordinate with the CLB on the annual health screening calendar and to integrate health promotion into the school's guidance policy.

Lesson 10. Data, privacy, and the pupil file

This lesson addresses the lawful handling of guidance records under the 2018 Decree read with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Participants learn what data may be collected in the pupil guidance file, who may access it, how long it must be retained, and when it must be destroyed. The session covers the distinction between the school's guidance file and the CLB's file, and the information-sharing protocols that govern transfers between them. Participants practice redacting a sample pupil file to remove unnecessary personal data and to ensure compliance with the data-minimization principle. The lesson also addresses parents' rights to access their child's file and to request correction of inaccurate data. Teachers leave able to maintain a lawful, secure, and useful guidance record.

Part III: Application and Mastery (Lessons 11-15)

Lesson 11. Reasonable adjustments and specific needs

Participants learn how to design and document reasonable adjustments for pupils with specific educational needs within the framework of the school's integrated guidance policy. The lesson covers the legal basis for reasonable adjustments under the Flemish leerzorg provisions and Belgium's disability-rights obligations. Participants practice writing an individual adjustment plan that specifies the barrier, the adjustment, the duration, and the review date. The session emphasizes that adjustments must be documented in the pupil file and communicated to all teachers who work with the pupil. Teachers leave able to distinguish between adjustments that the school can implement independently and those that require CLB or external specialist input, and to monitor the effectiveness of adjustments over time.

Lesson 12. Multidisciplinary consultation (MDO)

This lesson trains participants to run effective multidisciplinary consultation meetings (multidisciplinair overleg, MDO) as required by the continuum-of-care model. The session covers the MDO's purpose: to bring together the teacher, care coordinator, CLB representative, and sometimes external specialists to develop a coordinated support plan for a pupil at phase 2 or 3. Participants learn a structured MDO protocol that includes pre-meeting preparation, a clear agenda, time-limited discussion, decision documentation, and follow-up assignment. The lesson emphasizes the importance of including parents and, where appropriate, the pupil in the consultation. Teachers practice facilitating an MDO using a case study, producing a written action plan with assigned responsibilities and review dates.

Lesson 13. Involving parents and pupils

Participants examine the participation and communication duties embedded in the 2018 Decree. The lesson covers the school's obligation to inform parents about the guidance policy, to seek their consent for certain interventions, and to involve them in support planning. Participants learn strategies for engaging reluctant or marginalized parents, including the use of interpreters and flexible meeting formats. The session also addresses the pupil's right to be heard in decisions affecting their guidance, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Participants practice conducting a guidance conversation with a simulated parent and pupil, balancing transparency with professional discretion. Teachers leave able to design a parent-involvement protocol that meets the decree's requirements and builds trust.

Lesson 14. Writing and evaluating the guidance policy

This lesson guides participants through the process of drafting the compulsory school-level guidance policy document. The session covers the required elements: a statement of the school's vision for pupil guidance, a description of how each of the four domains is addressed, the continuum-of-care procedures, the roles and responsibilities of staff, the consultation and referral protocols, and the evaluation cycle. Participants work in teams to draft sections of a model policy using a template aligned with the decree's requirements. The lesson emphasizes that the policy must be a living document, reviewed annually and revised based on evaluation data. Teachers leave able to produce a policy that satisfies the decree and is ready for adoption by the school team.

Lesson 15. Quality assurance and inspection readiness

Participants learn how to evidence the quality of their school's guidance policy for the Onderwijsinspectie (Education Inspectorate) under the Decreet betreffende de kwaliteit van onderwijs van 8 mei 2009. The lesson covers the inspection framework's expectations for pupil guidance: that the policy is coherent, implemented, evaluated, and improved. Participants practice assembling an evidence portfolio that includes the policy document, case examples of the HGW cycle, MDO records, parent communication logs, and evaluation reports. The session also addresses how to present guidance data in the school's annual quality report. Teachers leave able to prepare for an inspection visit with confidence, knowing what evidence the inspectorate will examine and how to present it clearly.

This syllabus was designed from primary-source research of this nation's official teacher requirements and passed independent verification. The full course, its lessons, assistant, and materials are live for enrolled educators.