EAL at Henry Bloom Noble Primary School
At HBN, we embrace the rich tapestry of cultures and languages that make up our vibrant community. We understand that every student’s journey is unique, and we are committed to ensuring that learners with English as an Additional Language (EAL) thrive in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Our approach to supporting learners with EAL is multifaceted. We work with the DESC EAL team to provide some dedicated language support, tailored to individual needs, ensuring that these students are not only learning English but also engaging actively in all aspects of their education. Through immersion into the curriculum, specialised programs and one-on-one assistance, we help learners with EAL build confidence in their language skills and seamlessly integrate into our academic and social fabric.
Promoting equality and diversity is a cornerstone of our practice. We foster an environment where students of all backgrounds feel valued and respected.
Collaboration with families is key. We recognise that parents and guardians play a vital role in a child’s education, particularly for EAL learners. We maintain open lines of communication, ensuring that families are involved in their child’s learning journey and feel confident in navigating the school system.
Our commitment to equality and diversity extends beyond the classroom.
At HBN Primary, we believe that diversity is a strength, and inclusivity is a responsibility.
Intent
At HBN, all our children are important, and this applies to all aspects of their education – their teaching and learning, their achievements, their attitudes and their well-being. We encourage all our children to aim for the highest possible standards, and we take account of each child’s individual needs and experiences.
A small number of our children have particular requirements with regard to learning and assessment, and these are linked to their progress in learning English as an additional language.
Children who are learning English as an additional language have linguistic skills similar to those of monolingual English-speaking children. Their ability to participate in the full curriculum may well be in advance of their current ability to communicate in English.
Being a speaker of more than one language is no disadvantage to educational achievement; indeed, multilingualism is associated with success. This school recognises the importance of community languages, and the ability of their speakers to acquire other languages.
Implementation
In our school teachers use various methods to help children, who are learning English as an additional language.
We develop spoken and written English by:
ensuring that vocabulary work covers the technical as well as the everyday meanings;
planning appropriate opportunities for talking, and using talking to support writing;
We ensure access to the curriculum and to assessment by:
using texts and materials that are age-appropriate, culturally appropriate and learning stage appropriate;
providing support through ICT, visuals, video and audio materials, dictionaries and translations.
EAL and Inclusion
At HBN, we value each child as a unique individual. We will strive to meet the needs of all our children, and to ensure that we meet all statutory requirements related to inclusion. We provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make good progress.
We work with DESC EAL team and strive to meet the needs of all pupils learning English as an additional language, and we take all reasonable steps to achieve this.
Impact
Enable children to acquire and develop skills in English in a fun, engaging and appropriate manner;
Give children the confidence to join in class discussions and access learning in a supportive environment;
Develop children’s ability to communicate;
Ensure children with English as an additional language feel included and supported.