The EAL Good Practice Guide
This occasional publication collates samples of current good EAL practicein local
Primary and Secondary schools. Its purpose is to inspire the continuous extension of good practice andto help schools achieve continuous
improvement of their provision for pupils from black and
other minority ethnic backgrounds (BME), including those
who are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL).
Following widespread and positive feedback to volume 1, we are now pleased to present volume 2.
Our thanks go to all contributing schools; a list of these is provided
at the end of this booklet. Please note, however, that schools’
contributions will be non-attributable for the
purposes of this document.
EMTAS hopes that local teachers will find the following pages
‘an enjoyable read’ and would also be interested to
receive feedback from local readers.
Angelika Baxter
EMA Adviser (cross phase)
Ethnic Minority & Traveller Achievement Service
Crays Hill Primary School
London Road
Crays Hill
Billericay
Essex CM11 2UZ
Tel/Fax: 01268 531291
Email:
Vol 2
May 2013
First Impressions
A primary school has asked parents to write out words including ‘Welcome’, ‘Office’, ‘Library’, ‘Toilets’ in their home language and to create multilingual signage for the school in this way using 5-6 different languages/scripts.
Words including e.g. ‘door’, ‘chair’ are also being displayed in this way. This opportunity to contribute to school life has met with positive feedback and strong appreciation from parents. The production of this signage has also enabled the school to reinforce the importance of parents’ maintaining, developing and nurturing their children’s proficiency in the language(s) of the home.
In a similar vein, another local school has created a display featuring leaves cut from paper. Parents are invited to add to the display by writing their own message on a leaf. EAL parents are encouraged to use their home language when doing so.
The staff and pupils of a local primary school have created a display about their home languages/countries of origin/cultural heritage. Placed in a ‘strategic’ spot in school, this display has met with much interest from pupils, staff, parents and visitors and has further increased the visibility of cultural diversity in the school community.
Induction
One local primary school has compiled a ‘Welcome Pack’ as part of pupil induction. Contents include introductory booklets for parents new to the UK, available in a wide range of community languages (i.e. from the EMTAS resource library). EAL support leaflets are also included as relevant.
Assessment
Best EAL assessment practice, as carried out in some local schools, involves an observation based approach to EAL, sampling the individual’s speaking/listening, reading and writing as the pupil goes along and avoiding test-style assessment situations as it is known that test-style assessments are significantly less likely to yield accurate results for learners of EAL than they do for native speakers of English.
Some local primaries keep individual EAL folders for each child which include regular updates of e.g. EAL targets. Any member of staff working with a particular child will thus know the pupil’s particular needs, strengths, targets and any other relevant details.
One school clips the pupil’s EAL log into the front of each folder. Level descriptors, targets set for each language skill and relevant teaching strategies used are all highlighted/dated. This method creates a clear picture of pupil needs and strengths at any point in time as individual English language skills are built up with appropriate support.
The Curriculum
A primary school supportslearners of EALby pre-teaching texts one week in advance of introducing these texts to the whole class. As a result, EAL children now find it much easier to access the curriculum and to get more from their lessons.
Staffing and Training
Increasing numbers of local schools now have a designated EAL Co-ordinator – oftena teacher - working with one or more EAL Focus Teaching Assistants.Many EAL practitioners have been taking advantage of the free training opportunities offered each term, including e.g. EMTAS Network meetings.
A primary school created in-house daytime training opportunities enabling all teachers and TAs to attend morning workshops around good EAL practice. On day 1, Key Stage 1 teachers and TAs were released for a two hour session while Key Stage 2 staff covered KS 1 classes. On day 2, Key Stage 2 staff attended while their classes were covered by KS 1 staff.
This way of working enabled longer and more thorough training sessions lasting two hours each, as opposed to the one hour slot usually available duringstaff meetings. In addition, staff felt fresh at the start of the day; this in turn enhanced staff motivation and engagement during training.
Classroom Sound Bytes
A newly arrived pupil’s consistent use of dual language books, practised in collaboration with the child’s family, showed quick results and ‘really made the pupil’s English flow’ (class teacher).
Some local schools place strong emphasis on preparing written work by creating planned, focused, tangible real life experiences as relevant to the task in hand. ‘Rehearsing writing’ can involve e.g. a focused walk around the local area, followed by a discussion about what pupils saw and observed; key vocabulary can also be introduced on this basis before pupils begin to write.
Pupil Progress
Schools are becoming increasingly aware of the wide range of factors which can impact positively or negatively on the academic progress of learners of EAL. Some primaries and secondaries now regularly gather information e.g. using the EMTAS BME Pupil Profile form to guide their conversations with parents. Relevant factors can be identified in this way when considering individual progress and pupil targets.
Know your pupils
Where schools arrange for an individualFirst Language Assessment, a significant positive impact is often apparent. During one particular assessment, the pupil had needed considerable encouragement from the interpreter to speak in home language. Use of the home language had not been encouraged by the child’s immediate family although the child had been a late arrival in English education.
Following the assessment session, adults in school observed an immediate increase in the pupil’s confidence in speaking English; for example, the child now began to communicate using full sentences and to engage in extended talk in school for the first time. Due to the positive approach taken by the adults in school, the child’s classmates also became interested in this pupil’s home language and in e.g. listening to the sounds/learning to form some letters in the relevant script.
Emphasis on a child’s home language thus went beyond supporting the target pupil’s own progress and also led to learning opportunities for classmates including those speaking English only.
Involve Parents
A multicultural recipe book was produced by the staff, parents and pupils of a local school. This attractively presented booklet features recipes from e.g. the UK, the Caribbean, various parts of Europe and also a West African country. Contributions were invited and received from both parents and pupils.
A primary school organised a parents’ tea party which proved hugely successful with minority ethnic parents in particular. Factors contributing to this success included the following:
- The invitations were designed by the children themselves using a templatein the shape of a cup cake. In this way each parent received an informal, personalised invitation to the event from his/her own child.
- The school deliberately refrained from saying ‘r.s.v.p.’ thus creating maximum informality for parents.
- The invitations also encouraged parents to bring younger children along so that no childcare needs would be created for those wishing to attend.
- The event enabled parents to experience a range of activities, including an informal introduction to dual language books.
A good turnout was achieved in this way and one of the school’s governors also attended, enabling parents to make contact.
The school also keeps a scrapbook style record of the event which combines copies of the invitation along with photographs taken during the party (photo permission had been obtained by the school in the usual way).
One parent pledged to return to the school and to read a dual language book to her child’s class using home language, with the class teacher reading the English section of the text. In this way, the school is looking to create a learning opportunity for the whole class whilst also placing positive emphasis on the home language as an asset to EAL learners and their families.
Consultative approach to EAL support
Some local primaries have approached EMTAS with a view to receiving regular visits by secondary staffwho speak the home language of a new arrival. Mandarin and Spanish speakers have been among the EAL pupils supported in this way. Facilitated by EMTAS, these visits were agreed for a time limited period. Primary pupils and their teachers have derived great benefit from these arrangements.
The Governing Body
Some schools have been successful in recruiting governors from among the minority ethnic communities served by the school. This has resulted in more sensitive approaches to issues including parent contact, pupils’ religious observance and community matters generally.
At least one local school has recruited an EAL Link Governor who is involved in overseeing EAL provision and practice. The presence of this governor has resulted in improved EAL co-ordination and has also led to e.g. the organisation of in-school events for EAL parents.
EAL, Gifted and Talented?
One local primary school holds sessions for Gifted and Talented pupils, and especially those learning EAL, daily before school. Pupil and parent response has been very encouraging.
Support from EMTAS
Increasing numbers of local schools have requested in-school EMTAS training sessions during 2012/13 (currently free of charge to all Essex schools and academies).
Please be aware that our diaries are getting full, so it’s first come, first served!
Acknowledgements
The EMTAS team would like to thank the following schools for their contributions to this booklet.
Briscoe Primary School, Basildon
Great Bradfords Junior School, Braintree
Holly Trees Primary School, Brentwood
Janet Duke Primary School, Basildon
Maldon Primary School, Maldon
Northlands Infant School, Basildon
The Phoenix Primary School, Basildon
St Anne Line Catholic Infant School, Basildon
St Mary’s Primary School, Burnham on Crouch
Springfield Primary School, Chelmsford
The Willows Primary School,Basildon
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