English as an Additional Language

Statement

As a school, we are aware that bilingualism is strength and that EAL students have a valuable contribution to make. Brune Park Community School values and commits to provide support for EAL learners. This policy is in place to ensure any barriers to learning these students can face are lifted.

What is an EAL student?

The Department for Education identifies English as an Additional language as ‘A first language other than English should be recorded where a child was exposed to the language during early development and continues to be exposed to this language in the home or in the community’.

Being an EAL student can cause barriers to learning. EAL students new to English up to and including those with considerable fluency will have varying degrees of difficulty in accessing the curriculum and achieving their full potential.

Research has shown that those new to English will usually acquire conversational fluency in two years, but will need a minimum of five years to achieve competence in academic English.

Some of Brune Parks’ EAL students may appear to be fluent in English. These students must still be recognized and supported as students with EAL, as they do not stop being EAL when they learn English. These students may have a significantly lower reading and writing ages in English compared to their non EAL status peers. So Brune Park avoids using the term ‘EAL’ to refer to only those students who need support to learn English.

Context of EAL in Brune Park Community School

Approximately 18 languages are spoken at the school, EMTAS reports that the fastest growing % of EAL learners in Hampshire is Gosport (in 2016 there were 12).

How does Brune Park Identify and Audit its EAL Learners?

Information on potential EAL students, including age, first language, level of English or if they have studied previously in an English medium school should be obtained in advance of a student’s arrival. If possible this should come from the student’s previous school. Once arriving into Brune Park they should be assessed as quickly as possible and if needed, referred to EMTAS.

Aims and Objectives:

• To welcome and value the cultural, linguistic and educational experiences that students with EAL bring to Brune Park Community School.
• To implement school-wide strategies to ensure support in accessing the curriculum.
• To help EAL students to become confident and to acquire the English language skills they need to be able to fulfil their academic potential.
• To equip teachers and support staff with knowledge, skills and resources to enable them to support and monitor students with EAL.
• To use the data to inform classroom management, curriculum planning, the setting of targets as well as intervention and pastoral support.
• To maintain students’ self-esteem and confidence by acknowledging and giving status to their skills in their own languages.

Teaching and Learning

• Planning will identify and include differentiated opportunities matching the individual EAL students’ needs.
• Key language features which are necessary for effective participation are used. These might be key words, uses of language or forms of text.
• Classroom activities are carefully structured and focused to take account of the level of English language known to the student.
• Classroom activities have clear learning objectives and appropriate support and resources are deployed to ensure that students are able to participate.
• Staff will review groupings and setting arrangements to ensure that EAL learners have access to strong English language peer models.

Strategies and Resources

• EAL students identified on class registers.
• Collaborative group work and peer support.
• Enhanced opportunities for speaking and listening.
• Effective role models of speaking, reading and writing
• Bilingual resources, e.g. dictionaries, texts, key word lists, printed power points to annotate.
• Visual support using images, objects, non-verbal clues/gestures and demonstrations etc.
• Students receive regular feedback from staff.

Parents, Carers and the Wider Community:

• We aim to provide a welcoming admission for students, as well as an induction routine with assessment and support of newly arrived students and their families/carers. Also support for the new student through a student buddy system.
• We ensure that our written and spoken communication with families and with the community is effective and appropriate through the use of plain English and translated texts where appropriate.
• Brune Park will work towards liaising closely with members of the wider community to support our EAL students outside of school as well as inside.

If you have any questions or need support please contact your Child’s Year team. Email is the best way to get in touch.

The email addresses at the school are: initialsurname@kgabrunepark.uk.

The main switch board for Brune park is 02392 616000 and there is an option for The Year Office.