EAL (English as an Additional Language)
The EAL Department at Kelmscott School has identified a shared vision for all EAL learners, to empower them to experience success in all areas of school life. This vision is at the forefront of all of our teaching and learning, supporting and guiding of EAL learners in our school community, and it comprises many different aspects.
Kelmscott School is committed to providing appropriate provision of teaching and resources for students for whom English is an additional language. The EAL Department identifies individual students' needs at the earliest opportunity, recognising the skills they bring to the school and ensuring equality of access to the whole curriculum.
We aim to ensure that all EAL pupils are able to:
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Use English confidently and competently
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Use English as a means to learning across the curriculum
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Where appropriate, make use of their knowledge of other languages
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All mid-phase admissions are interviewed at length with notes taken of previous education and attainment. Relevant information is made available to all teaching staff.
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All new admissions are assessed with regards to their English acquisition on arrival. This information is made available to all teaching staff.
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The progress of EAL learners is monitored to ensure they are making appropriate progress. We acknowledge that EAL learners’ conceptual thinking maybe in advance of their ability to speak English and work to ensure the cognitive challenge remains appropriately high and is not reduced because the English language demand has been reduced.
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We acknowledge that all learners have a right to access the National Curriculum. This is best achieved within a whole school context. Students learn more quickly when socialising and interacting with their peers who speak English fluently and can provide good language and learning role models.
Curriculum
​As a small department within a large school with high demand, we prioritise subjects with a high literacy content to work with, e.g. English, Science and Maths. In this way, we hope to benefit EAL students and their performance in all subjects as they develop the literacy skills to engage with the whole of the curriculum.
KS3 Reading Group/Homework group - This is run by the EAL staff every Wednesday after school in room L103.
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NASEEA STEPS
Stage A- New to English
Newly arrived students with no or very little English, who will need a considerable amount of EAL support.-(Intensive English Programme- Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced)
Stage B- Early Acquisition- Becoming familiar with English
Students may be more proficient orally – able to make themselves understood, and use the language for social purposes, but they still require sustained support for developing reading and writing. Secondary students may or may not have well-developed study skills, depending on previous educational experiences.
Stage C- Developing Competence
Students may participate in learning activities with increasing independence. They are able to express themselves orally in English, but structural inaccuracies are still apparent. Literacy will require ongoing support, particularly for understanding text and writing. Students still require ongoing EAL support to access the curriculum fully.
Stage D- Competent
Oral English will be developing well, enabling successful engagement in activities across the curriculum. Can read and understand a wide variety of texts. Written English may lack complexity and contain occasional evidence of errors in structure. Students need some support to access subtle nuances of meaning, to refine English usage, and to develop abstract vocabulary. They may also need some /occasional EAL support to access complex curriculum material and tasks.
Stage E- A fluent user of English in most social and learning contexts
Students at this stage can operate across the curriculum to a level of competence equivalent to that of a pupil who uses English as his/her first language and will continue to improve according to their age.
These stages represent broad bands of development. Teachers may feel that some students are ‘between’ stages or just entering or leaving a stage. Therefore teachers may give a ‘best fit’ stage. We aim to assess targeted students every term.
Below are some websites which will support EAL leaners which can be accessed from home:
www.learningvillage.net EAL blended vocabulary, language structure and reading programme :
https://www.axcultures.com A mix of independent and taught English language lessons for new to English learning across the curriculum.
http://www.Quill.org Writing and grammar activities for primary and secondary students.
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http://www.eslvideo.com Free quizzes, lessons and online conversation classes for English language learners.
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https://ealresources.bell-foundation.org.uk/teachers/eal-nexus-resources The teaching resources on the EAL Nexus website have been tried and tested in the classroom, and support mainstream teachers and teaching assistants by providing appropriate materials for EAL learners in their classes. There are resources to motivate and engage EAL learners at all levels (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced), keeping the language accessible and the cognitive challenge high.
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org LearnEnglish Teens can help improve your English with reading, writing and listening practice, tips for exams, grammar and vocabulary exercises, games and videos. You can also interact with other teenagers from all around the world.