ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
Monega is a multi-ethnic school and promoting equality is one of our highest priorities throughout the whole school. We have high expectations of all our pupils and they should have the opportunities to achieve the highest possible standards as well as helping all children to develop a sense of personal and cultural identity that is confident, open to change, receptive and respectful towards other people. The teaching takes into account pupils' cultural and religious backgrounds, linguistic needs and varying learning styles. We create an environment where pupils feel safe and feel they can contribute fully and where all feel respected and valued. Staff are assisted in the classroom to support pupils’ development of their language and learning needs, through termly targets and liaison time with the Inclusion Team.
- EAL is not a barrier to learning, it is an advantage in the long term. We focus on what children can do and help them make progress according to the next natural steps in their development.
- The relationships that teachers build with their pupils will have great impact on children’s development and progress.
- Pupils learn quickly when socialising and interacting with their peers who speak English fluently and can provide good language and learning role models, therefore interventions are time limited outside of the classroom.
- Teachers will make necessary adaptations for children for any intervention to be effective.
What we do
- We ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge of how children’s language develops and is best supported in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- We use visual resources in all lessons (e.g. symbols, bilingual dictionaries, concrete objects, and photograph).
- We encourage children to develop their oracy skills through non recorded lessons and through scaffolded language, modelled in every lesson.
Children’s level of language acquisition is assessed within the first half term of their arrival. Teachers will assess using a best fit judgement from The Bell Foundation Framework. Children’s progress is tracked throughout the year and reassessed using the framework, once every term.
Focus of initial assessment:
- Comprehension of language
- Applying spoken language into written form
Education Provision for pupils with EAL
Supported by the EAL Co-ordinator, teachers will plan and scaffold pupil learning in line with their current level of language acquisition. Pupils next steps are taught through quality first teaching inclusive of modelling, intervention marking and rehearsal and repetition through differentiated planning. Pupils will be further supported through Wave 2 interventions and transactional supports that take place within the classroom environment.