EAL

 EAL

At St Stephen’s, we value and celebrate the diversity of languages and cultures within our community. All pupils need to feel safe, accepted and valued in order to learn effectively and become successful members of society. In order to ensure the best outcomes for our children and the rapid acquisition of the English language, we use a range of strategies to support pupils.

We strongly believe that engaging teaching and learning for all is the key to securing achievement for every child. Through immersive curriculum activities, learning is context based and pupils are given a wide variety of exciting challenges and experiences to develop their vocabulary in English and therefore rapidly acquire the English language.

Provision for EAL learners

Pupils who are learning English as an additional language have a dual task at school: to learn English (language) and to learn through English. For this reason, EAL teaching aims to teach English using the mainstream curriculum as the context, which include:

•  providing specialist teaching support for newer arrivals through our New to English programme, run by our HLTA’s
•  providing continuing support for more advanced learners by using a range of resources for example, scaffolding speaking and writing through speaking and writing frames and drama techniques
•  providing opportunities for EAL learners, at all levels, to be given opportunities to grow their English vocabulary range - this is achieved through planning and EAL vocabulary mats
•  monitoring EAL attainment and progress, with a focus on the acquisition of vocabulary in English for each topic
•  assessing learners’ proficiency and literacy in their first language and establishing what prior subject knowledge and experience they have in other subjects
•  providing regular training for all staff on the needs of EAL learners
•  ensuring all lessons are context based and that learning is immersive and meaningful

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