Sitwell Junior School

Policy for Admitting New Arrivals (Including EAL)

January 2018

At Edenthorpe Hall Primary Academy, we strive to ensure that every child admitted has the same consistent induction which enables them to make a happy and successful start to their school life.

Before The Admission Interview

The school’s Administration Manager receives notification from the Local Authority, that a child has been given a place at Edenthorpe Hall Primary Academy.

The Administration Manager will ascertain whether the child is new to the country, new to Doncaster, or are transferring from another school within the town.

The Administration Manager will then inform the Administration Assistant, who carries out the admissions process.

The parents of the child will contact the school, either in person or by telephone, in order to make an appointment to be admitted.

The Administration Assistant will arrange an appointment for the parents to meet with the Head Teacher and Administration Assistant at the Admissions Interview. The parents are informed about which documents they are required to present at the Admissions Interview. The Administration Assistant will organise bi-lingual support, if necessary, from the Learning Mentor.

The Admission Interview

At the beginning of the interview, the Head Teacher will have an informal chat with the parents and give them a tour of school, introducing them to their child’s class teacher if appropriate. The Administration Assistant will undertake the interview, filling in the Student Data Forms and giving relevant information to parents and offer the parents the chance to buy school uniform. The Administration Assistant will also complete an ‘Information for Class Teachers’ form. During the interview, parents are also informed when their child will start school - in most instances that will be a few days after the Admission Interview.

After The Admission Interview

If the child has English as an Additional Language, the ‘Information for Class Teachers’ form is also passed onto the EAL Coordinator. Aspects such as level of individual need, country of origin and/or language spoken are taken into account when deciding which class the child is going in (age appropriate).

A ‘Buddy’ for the child is also identified. This will be a child who ‘befriends’ the New Arrival at break times etc. The ‘Buddy’ will speak the same first language as the New Arrival, if possible, and be a good role model. The class teacher will retain the information form for future use.

The Admission

The child and family will be taken to their new class (with Bi-lingual support if necessary) and introduced to the staff. Parents will be given information about when/where to collect the child after school, PE times etc. The buddy, identified by the child’s class teacher, will be presented to the child who then takes the child on a tour of the school (with parents if required).

After the Admission: Assessment

Once the child has settled in class (this may be up to a week after admission) the class based TA will assess the child within the first weeks of arrival, with Bi-lingual support if necessary. The assessments could include; speaking and listening (EAL acquisition), a phonics check, Reading, Writing and Maths where necessary. If the child has EAL, their fluency in first language is noted if possible, and a first language maths assessment is carried out if there is bilingual support available.

The results of the assessments are shared with the class teacher. The child’s assessment data will be inputted onto OTRACK and the EAL tracking system, if necessary, so that the child’s progress can be tracked. The class teacher ensures that opportunities can be provided to enable the child to attain the next steps in their personal development and academic achievement.

It is the class teacher’s responsibility to ensure the inclusion of all New Arrivals through planning and support. The EAL Coordinator will then monitor progress by communicating with class teachers and analysing the school’s tracking system on OTRACK and the EAL Tracker.

Edenthorpe Hall Primary Academy New Arrivals Policy