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Aiming High: Meeting the needs of newly arrived learners of EAL
Parents and carers should be given information about: the English school system; the school's expectations of pupils; the school day; the homework system; uniform or dress requirements; and benefits such as free school meals or uniform grants. Parents/carers will find a tour around the school supportive and interesting, especially as the school setting might be very different from their own experience. Discuss how parents/carers can work in partnership to support the pupil's learning. Showing a video or display of typical school activities can be helpful. Some LEAs have prepared video and other materials designed to introduce newly arrived children and their parents/carers to the key features of primary school settings in the UK.
Translation and interpretation for a pre-admission discussion with parents or carers may be provided by the LEA or it may be possible to find another person from the community to help with this. Some LEAs maintain a register of adults and older students who are available to provide support with translation in community languages. Welcome booklets and leaflets for parents, translated into relevant languages, can be prepared with the help of local EMA translation and interpretation services or from an online resource (see below).
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Obtaining information about new arrivals An initial interview with parents/carers to discuss the school way of life and the pupil's background paves the way for a good relationship between home and school. For some minority ethnic parents/carers this meeting may be their first experience of an English school and it is therefore helpful to make the discussion as clear and thorough as possible while bearing in mind the sensitive nature of some of the discussion points. Reassure parents/carers that information they tell the school will be treated as confidential (an issue of particular concern and importance for refugee and asylum-seeking families).
Factual information should include: country of birth; educational background; any breaks in education; languages spoken and level of literacy; subjects studied in previous school(s) (if applicable); attitude to school, progress made, attendance etc.; parents' languages; siblings; health and diet.
The interview may also involve discussion of other factors which may affect the child such as: separation from relatives; war or the political situation in their home country; financial difficulties, which may have implications for school uniform and PE kit; temporary nature of accommodation; religious or cultural identity and its implications; teaching and learning styles and the environment to which the pupil is accustomed, which may be very different; and being new to a white or multicultural environment.
All members of the teaching and support staff should be given information about newly arrived pupils. This may take the form of a summary of information from the interview, to be shared through staff meetings, briefings, handouts or staff noticeboards.
The relevant class should be informed that they will be receiving a new arrival so that they are prepared to be welcoming on the first day. This could include having learned greetings in the language of the new pupil.
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The new pupil should be given helpful and age-appropriate induction information, such as a local map, plan of the school, names of their teachers and a timetable. This material needs to be supported with visual information and translation where possible so it is accessible to learners and parents/carers who speak little or no English. Identifying a 'buddy' for the newly-arrived pupil will prove extremely supportive. The buddy needs to be a confident pupil (ideally, but not necessarily, sharing the newcomer's language) who can act as a friend during the first days and weeks. The buddy needs to be briefed to support the new arrival in managing potentially stressful situations such as using the toilets, lunchtime, playtime, PE and any lessons that take place outside the main classroom area and may involve different adults.
Placing a new arrival in an appropriate class/group/set
Points to consider:
- Children who are learning English as an additional language will learn more quickly alongside fluent users of English who can provide good language and learning role models. The pupil may already have acquired the relevant skills and concepts of a subject, but initially may lack the language to express these in English.
- If possible, place the pupil in a class or group which includes a pupil who speaks the same language.
- A child who arrives in school with little or no previous experience of schooling needs careful consideration. It may seem appropriate initially to place them in the year below their chronological age or in a lower group or set. However, there can be disadvantages to such a strategy and the implications need to be considered carefully. Research shows that maintaining an age-appropriate curriculum and securing high cognitive challenge are critical to progress for learners of EAL.
- Learning English as an additional language should not be considered to be a 'special need' and bilingual learners should not be automatically identified for Special Needs support - this is likely to be inappropriate to their needs. Assessment of Special Educational Needs is complex and should not be undertaken too soon after the child arrives in school.
- During independent and group working sessions, ensure that the child is included in groups that can provide good role models in terms of language and learning in order to create the best fit for his/her language and learning needs.
- Test scores will not accurately reflect the potential of a pupil who is in the early stages of learning English as an additional language and should not therefore be used as the main criterion for placing the pupil in a teaching group.
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Assessment of pupils' English language competence is necessary in order to decide what support the pupil needs in order to be able to engage with the National Curriculum.
Assessments should be carried out in a situation which is familiar to the learner. Teachers should use their professional judgement regarding the assessment procedure and should ensure that the assessment does not cause distress or discomfort to the learner.
Wherever possible, assessment of cognitive and academic language development should be carried out by a trained adult who shares the pupil's first language as this will enhance the quality of the assessment information obtained to support planning for next steps. Where this is not possible, it is preferable to delay assessments through the medium of English until the child is settled. Oral assessments in and through English should be carried out once the child has begun to communicate confidently in English. Some newly arrived pupils may have literacy skills in English which can be assessed earlier.
See A language in common: Assessing English as an additional language, QCA 2000 (QCA/00/584).
Assessment of bilingual pupils in their first language An assessment of the pupil's proficiency in first language may be helpful in ascertaining the pupil's cognitive development and academic achievements. It is important that those carrying out such assessments have received appropriate training and have a clear understanding of the nature of conceptual and linguistic development. Ideally, assessors should share the same dialect as well as the same first language of the pupil.
Resource list: Providing a welcoming environment
- Aiming High: Guidance on supporting the education of asylum seeking and refugee children (DfES0287/2004) provides a summary of good practice for LEAs in developing local policies and procedures to facilitate access to, and support within, local schools.
- Manchester City Council's Ethnic Minority Achievement Service, which must be credited for production of much of the above guidance, have produced Guidelines and strategies to support new arrivals (2000).
- Detailed guidance on good induction procedures is also available on a website produced in association with Slough Education Action Zone to help schools, mainstream teachers and specialist staff locate and develop resources for pupils at early stages of learning EAL.
- Translated materials for schools, including welcome letters and other school information, is available in many languages at www.dgteaz.org.uk/resources/letters.htm
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