Supporting new arrivals with GCSE design and technology coursework

School: A comprehensive school in London

This high school is an average size (1060), mixed, 11–18 comprehensive. It has a diverse student intake: 60% of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, with just over half speaking English as an additional language (EAL). Students speak a wide range of languages and a significant number are at early stages of learning English. Asylum seekers account for 15% of pupils and there is higher than average mobility. The proportion of students on free school meals is well above average, and above average for those with special educational needs.

Some years ago, curriculum leaders attended a short training course offered by local authority (LA) ethnic minority achievement (EMA) consultants on 'Literacy across the curriculum'. One element of this training, a lesson given in Turkish to demonstrate what it felt like to be a new arrival, had an enormous impact on the curriculum leader for design and technology (D&T). He felt strongly that he did not want pupils with little or no English to suffer in his classes because they could not follow what was going on. He recognised that many late-arriving students, who were keen to do D&T and had good cognitive levels, nevertheless faced two challenges: lack of cultural knowledge in terms of British pedagogical approaches to the teaching of the subject and a language barrier. He therefore resolved to review his teaching and learning strategies to make his subject more accessible for developing bilingual learners.

He was given further help by the EMA team, when one of the EMA consultants came into the school and worked with him in class on the language of technology. This was valuable and influenced the way he approached the task he had set himself.