What is EAL? Department Vision and Priorities

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1 What is EAL? The term bilingual learner refers to all students who use or have access to more than one language at home or at school it does not necessarily imply full fluency in both or all languages (DfES 2003). The terms EAL ( English as an Additional language) and bilingual are used interchangeably and both refer to students for whom English is not the first language. It does not refer to the stage of English these students may be on (see below). Many EAL students speak English on a par to native speakers. Department Vision and Priorities The EAL Department at Bow School has identified a shared vision for all EAL learners, to empower them to experience success in all areas of school life. This vision is at the forefront of all of our teaching and learning, supporting and guiding of EAL learners in our school community, and it comprises many different aspects. Bow School is committed to providing appropriate provision of teaching and resources for students for whom English is an additional language. The EAL Department identifies individual students' needs at the earliest opportunity, recognising the skills they bring to the school and ensuring equality of access to the whole curriculum. We aim to ensure that all EAL pupils are able to: Use English confidently and competently Use English as a means to learning across the curriculum Where appropriate, make use of their knowledge of other languages At Bow we EMBRACE DIVERSITY and recognise that learners will be at different stages of English language acquisition (from complete beginner to advanced bilingual). But even those at the same stage of English language acquisition will have different backgrounds and needs. With this in mind, we adhere to the following principles: Raise online provides data on all students whose first language is believed not to be English. However, EAL students are not a homogeneous group: pupils come from diverse linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds. We acknowledge that these variations are significant when interpreting the overall achievement of EAL learners. The school monitors the attainment and progress of all students. For those at the earliest stages of learning English, we will use the NASEEA Steps, an observational assessment of children s language skills. All mid-phase admissions are interviewed at length with note taken of previous education and attainment. Relevant information is made available to all teaching staff. All new admissions are assessed with regards to their English acquisition on arrival. This information is made available to all teaching staff.

2 Where deemed appropriate, we arrange assessment of literacy in the First Language/ or Mother Tongue. Specialist EAL support is available for all new arrivals from qualified teachers and GTA/TAs who have received appropriate training. More advanced learners of English have access to continuing support via In class support in line with their varying needs as they develop competencies over time. Class/subject teachers are expected to plan collaboratively with Lead teacher of EAL and EAL GTA. In support, the focus of planning should be on both language and subject content. Appropriate intervention is available to relevant groups. EAL staff strive to seek ways to use students first language as a tool to help support them in their understanding of the curriculum and their development of English. The progress of EAL learners is monitored to ensure they are making appropriate progress. We acknowledge that EAL learners conceptual thinking may be in advance of their ability to speak English and work to ensure the cognitive challenge remains appropriately high and is not reduced because the English language demand has been reduced. We acknowledge that all learners have a right to access the National Curriculum. This is best achieved within a whole school context. Students learn more quickly when socialising and interacting with their peers who speak English fluently and can provide good language and learning role models. Any withdrawal of EAL learners from a mainstream class will be for a specific purpose, and linked to the schemes of work delivered within the wider mainstream curriculum. There is regular training for all staff on the needs of EAL learners via the school s own CPD programme.

3 Staffing Larisa Albu Lead Teacher for EAL; Nargis Iqbal- EAL GTA. Curriculum As a small department within a large school with high demand, we prioritise subjects with a high literacy content to work with eg. English, Science. In this way, we hope to benefit EAL students and their performance in all subjects as they develop the literacy skills to engage with the whole of the curriculum. We prioritise support in classes for new arrivals. The Lead Teacher of EAL works collaboratively with mainstream teachers through a weekly EAL Drop in Surgery for staff. This enables the EAL Lead teacher to focus on target pupils as well as model appropriate inclusive teaching strategies to subject teachers via shared planning, material development and assessment. In this way, the subject teacher is provided with training to enable them to develop their own skills in meeting the needs of all EAL students. The EAL GTA works in support of target students and will also collaborate with the subject teacher to meet the needs of students. They also agree suitable targets for the students and monitor progress in lessons. Both methods of working entail meeting subject teachers, discussion of target students needs, strengths and weaknesses, tracking student progress, targets and the development of materials and differentiation. Mid-Phase Arrival Programme EAL students who arrive mid-phase are prioritised for support. Prior to their start date, staff are given a brief description of their background, including educational history. The Form Tutor will have time to identify buddies to support and guide the pupil. Subject teachers will know when to expect the student in their class and be prepared. On arrival, the Lead Teacher for EAL will meet the student and the family during Admission Interview, to do a broad assessment of student Reading and Writing in English and to gather information about the family background, and the student s educational history. The initial assessment information will be sent out to all teaching staff. In addition to this, students will spend an initial two days in the Learning Support Area. During this time they will be taken on a tour of the school, be given their planner with an explanation of how to use it, given their computer log on information, and also be introduced to the school system to pay for food and drink. They will be taken to class and introduced to their buddies. Arrangements will be made for them to be met the next day on arrival at school.

4 All staff will monitor their settling in and alert the EAL Department of any concerns. All bilingual students are encouraged to use a bilingual dictionary and all staff are asked to ensure they use them in the classroom. EAL students will have access to the following interventions where deemed to be appropriate: Reading master classes before AM Registration- reading with reading partners or EAL GTA. An invitation to Homework Club (Thursdays am & pm) An invitation to EAL Social Club (Thursday lunch time, pm) In class support from EAL GTA LOWER SCHOOL EAL Withdrawal sessions are for those students at NC 2/3a Reading and Writing or below. The weekly sessions are designed to introduce key concepts and vocabulary, stimulate prior knowledge, build on learning in their first language, develop literacy and oracy in English and enable students to practise language in a risk-reduced, supportive environment. Collaborative learning is key feature. First Language support is available from peers. KS3 Reading Group This is run by the EAL GTA. Our aim for the future is to empower the advanced bilinguals to become reading partners for the EAL early stage students. Students choose books from our own collection to read with their partner. All students maintain their own reading record. Reading levels are tracked via English data. The range of books is extensive, age appropriate and some are in dual languages. UPPER SCHOOL EAL Master Class Option at KS4 EAL students who are either mid-phase at KS4 operating at grade E or below in English will be invited to attend the EAL Morning Master classes. Similarly, EAL students entering KS4 at grade E or below in English will be advised to attend the EAL Masterclass. This support option follows the AQA GCSE English Language and English Literature syllabus and is designed to support the work pupils do in their English classes. We work on both language and subject content with a focus on maximising success in the examination.

5 Assessment Students make progress in acquiring English as an additional language in different ways and at different rates. Broad stages in this development are identified below as descriptors to be applied on a best fit basis. Progression from stage A to stage E can take up to 10 years and individuals are likely to show characteristics of more than one stage at a time. A judgement is usually needed over which stage best describes an individual s language development, taking into account age, ability and length of time learning English. School staff, parents and students need a common understanding of the stages of progress made in learning EAL. The focus continues to be the four skills of Speaking; Listening; Reading and Writing. Stage A- New to English Newly arrived students with no or very little English, who will need a considerable amount of EAL support. Stage B- Early Acquisition- Becoming familiar with English Students may be more proficient orally able to make themselves understood, and use the language for social purposes, but they still require sustained support for developing reading and writing. Secondary students may or may not have well developed study skills, depending on previous educational experiences. Stage C- Developing Competence Students may participate in learning activities with increasing independence. They are able to express themselves orally in English, but structural inaccuracies are still apparent. Literacy will require ongoing support, particularly for understanding text and writing. Students still require ongoing EAL support to access the curriculum fully. Stage D- Competent Oral English will be developing well, enabling successful engagement in activities across the curriculum. Can read and understand a wide variety of texts. Written English may lack complexity and contain occasional evidence of errors in structure. Students need some support to access subtle nuances of meaning, to refine English usage, and to develop abstract vocabulary. They may also need some /occasional EAL support to access complex curriculum material and tasks. Stage E- A fluent user of English in most social and learning contexts Students at this stage can operate across the curriculum to a level of competence equivalent to that of a pupil who uses English as his/her first language and will continue to improve according to their age.

6 These stages represent broad bands of development. Teachers may feel that some students are between stages or just entering or leaving a stage. Therefore teachers may give a best fit stage. We aim to assess targeted students every term. Homework We offer Homework Club every Thursday before and after school. In addition to this, EAL teacher often supports students with homework at other times via informal arrangement.