EAL

There are now more than one million learners in UK schools who speak English as an additional language (EAL). ‘The English society is multilingual, with an estimated 360 languages spoken across the country’ (Department for Education, April 2024). This represents a considerable proportion of the school population. In our school population, we have 13.7% per cent of children who have English as an Additional Language.

Our EAL learners come from very diverse backgrounds. With some following their families coming to the UK as economic migrants or for educational or work commitments. EAL learners also include those who were born and raised in the UK speaking a language other than English as their first spoken language. The first languages spoken by EAL learners in our school include Malayalam, Makaton, Urdu, Polish, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Tagalog/Filipino, Igbo, Romanian, Tamil, Italian, Panjabi, Welsh and Irish Gaelic.

As with other groups of learners, our teachers adapt their lessons ensuring all children develop good understanding and progress in lessons. They do this by involving learners in activities where the language is challenging but appropriate to their abilities and interests.

As a school we enjoy celebrating different cultural festivals and events throughout the year. Ensure that all children are valued and celebrated. Some examples include European day of Languages, Diwali, Passover and Hanukkah, Christmas and Lunar New Year.

We as a school also get support off experts from our Local Authority.