EAL

EAL (English as an Additional Language)

There are now more than one million learners in UK schools who speak English as an additional language (EAL). This represents a considerable proportion of the school population. In our school population, we have  15 per cent of children who have English as an Additional Language.

Our EAL learners come from very diverse backgrounds. Some arrive seeking asylum, while others follow families coming to the UK as economic migrants or for other reasons. EAL learners also include those who were born and raised in the UK speaking a language other than English. The most common first languages spoken by EAL learners in our school include Polish, Afrikaan, French, Mandarin, Chinese, Spanish, Turkish. We do however have a growing number of different languages being spoken in our school.

As with other groups of learners, our teachers adapt their lessons to make sure that all learners can get the most out of lessons. They do this by involving learners in activities where the language is challenging but appropriate to their abilities and interests.

As a school we enjoy celebrating different cultural events throughout the year to ensure that all children are valued for example; Jarmark Swietojanski, Bastille Day, Lunar New Year, Ramadam, Sermana Santa.