EAL Senior School Policy

School context

Approximately 99 pupils in the Senior School speak languages other than English at home, either exclusively or in addition to English. Of these, 38 state that English is not their mother tongue. Pupils speak a total of over 30 different languages, with those most represented being Arabic, Bengali, Mandarin and Urdu. Most of these pupils live with their families, but a small number live with guardians. There are a few pupils who join the school with only basic English and no British educational background.

Those girls on the EAL register have widely differing needs, from those who need no extra support to those requiring additional help in order to access the curriculum.

(NB: This data is based on those who have provided the information)

Principles of Learning Support

In line with the GDST Inclusion Policy.

Aims of the Policy

The aims of this EAL policy are:

• To define the school’s objectives regarding EAL and how these will be met
• To define the overall organisation and management of EAL provision in the school
• To define the nature and level of school support for EAL

The School’s EAL Objectives

• Pupils with EAL are identified and procedures are followed to ensure their needs are met and they achieve their potential
• Procedures are in place to ensure teachers and non teaching staff are aware of such pupils and supported in meeting their needs
• Pupils with EAL are integrated as fully as possible into the life of the school and offered full access to a broad, balanced and relevant education, including an appropriate curriculum
• They are actively encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities
• The views of the pupil are sought and taken into account
• Parents/guardians are encouraged to play a role in the pupil’s education
• Appropriate resources are available and are used in the school
• The school’s overall ethos helps pupils feel valued members of the school community, thrive in a culture which may be foreign to them, and appreciate their own cultural uniqueness
• Bilingualism and multiculturalism are actively supported and celebrated

Roles and responsibilities for management of Provision

EAL is regarded as a whole school responsibility, with all staff having a part to play in making provision for pupils. Those with particular responsibility in this area are:

Mrs. S. White – Deputy Head

• Liaise regularly with EAL Co-ordinator 
• Review Record Keeping 

Ms. E. Meadows – EAL Coordinator and Teacher (qualified EAL teacher)

• Monitoring of progress made by pupils with EAL, their attainment and their wellbeing with Deputy Head
• Assessment of specific EAL needs
• Identification of pupils with EAL
• Mentoring and pastoral support of pupils with EAL
• Specialised EAL teaching
• One to one support for pupils with EAL across the curriculum
• Liaison over communication with parents and guardians of pupils with EAL
• Advice and guidance to staff
• Accurate record keeping
• Liaison with SENDco regarding examination access arrangements

Mrs. M. Bates - SENDco and Support teacher

• Line manage the EAL Co-ordinator
• Examination access arrangements
• Testing and support of pupils with EAL and additional learning needs

Admissions

Pupils with EAL who apply to join the school are required to take a standard entrance examination in Mathematics and a special EAL test in place of the usual English entrance examination. The results of these tests, seen in conjunction with reports from previous schools and sometimes IELTS test results, will determine whether or not the applicant will be offered a place and in which year group. Pupils will not be accepted into Y10 or Y12 unless they have demonstrated a high level of competence in English. Instead they may be offered a place in Y9 in order to improve their English before they begin examination courses.

Identification and assessment of EAL

A variety of sources of information may be used in order to identify pupils with EAL and assess any need for additional support:

• Entrance papers
• Report from previous school and/or parents/guardians
• EAL questionnaire (given to all new pupils)
• Assessment by the EAL teacher – reading, writing, speaking and listening
• Subject teachers’ comments and observations
• Form teacher’s or Head of Year’s comments and observations
• MidYIS tests
• Input from pupils

The school recognises that most pupils with EAL needing support with their English do not have SEND needs. However, if SEND needs are identified, pupils with EAL will have equal access to school SEND provision, in addition to EAL support. This might include examination access arrangements for SEND issues if appropriate.

Recording, Monitoring and Reporting

An EAL register is compiled by the EAL coordinator and available to all staff on Firefly.  This includes information about which languages pupils speak at home. Home languages and ethnicity are also recorded on SIMS. Pupils with EAL who need, or have needed, extra support are also included on the SEN register. All this information is updated annually. In line with GDST guidance, pupils with EAL are categorised using the Bell Foundation framework and this information is included on the Firefly pages available to staff only.

The academic progress of pupils with EAL is tracked by the EAL coordinator and the Deputy Head following formal school assessments. Heads of Year are kept informed of any possible issues as they arise.

Bilingual guardians as well as home guardians are invited to attend consultation evenings. Bilingual guardians provide a channel of communication between school and families overseas, where a language barrier could be a problem. This contact enables parents to be kept informed of any academic or pastoral issues and of pupil progress. It also means that parents can pass on relevant information or ask questions more easily about their daughters.

Provision

The following measures are available for pupils who need them.

Curriculum support

• A dedicated EAL section in the school library, which includes dictionaries, study skills books and EAL readers
• Subject specific vocabulary lists on Firefly
• Simpler textbooks in some subject areas
• Teaching approaches which promote language development
• An EAL section on the portal, which includes links to websites for independent study

Additional specific provision

• Regular meetings as appropriate between pupil and Head of Year
• Timetabled EAL / curriculum support lessons, usually in place of MFL lessons
• External examinations in first language, where appropriate
• Examination Access Arrangements in accordance with JCQ regulations
• Preparation for IELTS examinations in the sixth form (International English Language Testing System – recognised by English-speaking academic institutions throughout the world)
• Link with girls who speak the same language
• EAL prefects who are assigned new entrants with EAL and act as intermediaries between pupils and teachers
• School assemblies
• Multicultural issues in schemes of work

Pastoral provision

• Buddy system within form and / or teaching group

Promotion of bilingualism

• School assemblies
• Multicultural issues in schemes of work

Staff support and training

• INSET training for all staff
• Tips for teaching pupils with EAL available to all staff on the school network
• Advice available from EAL coordinator

Other policies

See references to EAL in the Anti-bullying policy and the SEND – inclusion policy.

Success criteria

Success is evaluated in terms of both academic progress and also integration and self-confidence within the school. Success is measured through:

• Levels of attainment in formal school assessments and external tests
• Levels of attainment in EAL assessments
• School reports
• Self-assessment
• Informal assessment by EAL teacher, subject teachers and pastoral staff

Publication and review

The EAL policy is available to all staff on Firefly.

The policy is regarded as a working document and reviewed and if necessary updated at least once a year. This review will be undertaken by the EAL coordinator together with input from the pastoral head. EAL issues are also included in the school’s SDP and self evaluation procedures.