English as an Additional Language

(EAL).

English as an Additional Language

At Heathfield Schools' Partnership we are committed to making appropriate provision of teaching and resources for pupils for whom English is an Additional Language, and in raising their achievement to meet their personal & National Curriculum targets.

The school identifies that the individual needs of pupils are varied. These needs might include (but are not limited to): higher order reading and listening comprehension skills, developing more sophisticated vocabulary and building phrases in speaking and writing.

At present, 32 languages are spoken at our school by pupils, staff and their families, which presents a wide and diverse language community.

Heathfield EAL Provision

At Heathfield, our aim is to raise the attainment of EAL children by giving them access to the full curriculum. This is currently in evidence through the following approaches:

  • Providing pupils with EAL opportunities to hear and read good models of English and extend their knowledge and use of English
  • Providing additional in-class and 1:1 withdrawal interventions to these children which often includes pre-teaching to enable greater access to tasks set
  • Regular liaisons between the EAL Coordinator and class teacher to ensure that the needs of the child with EAL are being met, and enabling continuity between interventions and in-class learning
  • Developing appropriate resources including the use of first language materials, bilingual books and bilingual dictionaries
  • Using visuals and auditory resources to support pupils to access more of the taught curriculum
  • Developing home school links to encourage parental engagement in their child's learning, which includes the provision of bilingual books from our school library
  • Providing EAL advice and support for teachers and teaching assistants within the school community
  • Supporting staff in assessing the needs of EAL pupils and identifying pupils' level of English

We are committed to supporting EAL students at all levels of proficiency. The above provisions are arranged by our EAL Coordinator. If you have any questions relating to EAL support in our school, please contact Mrs Simi Pathal.