English as an Additional Language (EAL)
At Moor End Academy we welcome students from all over the world. Many of our students speak a language other than English and some have English as a second/additional language. The EAL department offers English language support to those who are not yet competent in English. The key aim of the department is to ensure students have full access the full curriculum and supporting their personal development and welfare.
The EAL department strive to ensure students:
• feel welcome, motivated and supported by the department and the Academy,
• enjoy learning English,
• become increasingly confident, competent and independent listeners, speakers, readers and writers,
• make good progress in English, setting challenging and achievable targets,
• have access to the curriculum in all subject areas,
• have opportunity to develop skills in their heritage language.
EAL Provision
The EAL provision at Moor End Academy has been developed to help students to settle in as quickly as possible. This includes:
On arrival and prior to admission:
- Students have an induction meeting with parents and their Head of Year where key documentation will be shared. Translators may be available if required.
- o They will have a short assessment of their English skills and non-verbal reasoning so that we can see how best to support them. Students will try to be placed in classes according to their academic potential and previous educational experience.
On admission and welcome packs:
- Key information is provided to new arrivals containing useful school and subject information
- Essential classroom equipment can be provided if necessary.
- Students are provided with a bilingual dictionary and a vocabulary book to note key subject specific vocabulary which can be translated into their heritage language.
- New students are introduced to a student buddy who will look after them while they settle in. Where possible this will be a student who speaks the same heritage language. The buddies show their new friends around the Academy and take care of them during breaks and lunchtimes.
- Key staff who will be working with the students will be introduced to them. As well as developing and improving their use of English, we attach a great deal of importance to the students’ well-being.
Ongoing support:
- Support is offered at a range of levels and is tailored to the student’s individual needs. Depending on their level of English, students may receive weekly individual, or small group sessions to develop fluency in reading, writing and/or speaking. More advanced EAL learners are usually supported in mainstream lessons such as English, Maths and Science. All students are encouraged to attend afterschool homework clubs and subject booster sessions.
- Heritage languages of EAL students are valued and where possible the students are encouraged to sit GCSE exams in their first language.
- We encourage EAL students to take part in the variety of extra-curricular activities which happen every day after school. This is an excellent way for students to practise their English outside of the classroom and make new friends.
- If a student has been in England for less than two years they may be able to have 25% additional time in GCSE exams.
EAL Grading and Learner Codes
We use the Department for Education’s English proficiency scale to assess student’s level of language:
English proficiency
A: New to English: May use first language for learning and other purposes. May remain completely silent in the classroom. May be copying/repeating some words or phrases. May understand some everyday expressions in English but may have minimal or no literacy in English. Needs a considerable amount of EAL support.
B: Early acquisition: May follow day-to-day social communication in English and participate in learning activities with support. Beginning to use spoken English for social purposes. May understand simple instructions and can follow narrative/accounts with visual support. May have developed some skills in reading and writing. May have become familiar with some subject specific vocabulary. Still needs a significant amount of EAL support to access the curriculum.
C: Developing competence: May participate in learning activities with increasing independence. Able to express self orally in English, but structural inaccuracies are still apparent. Literacy will require ongoing support, particularly for understanding text and writing. May be able to follow abstract concepts and more complex written English. Requires ongoing EAL support to access the curriculum fully.
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. Needs some support to access subtle nuances of meaning, to refine English usage, and to develop abstract vocabulary. Needs some/occasional EAL support to access complex curriculum material and tasks.
E: Fluent: Can operate across the curriculum to a level of competence equivalent to that of a pupil who uses English as his/her first language. Operates without EAL support across the curriculum.
N: Not Yet Assessed is also available for use where the school has not yet had time to assess proficiency. |