EAL Coordinator: Will Smith
At Stepney Green, the job of the English as an Additional Language Coordinator is to ensure the progress of all English Language Beginners and to raise their achievement.
Who are the EAL beginners?
Usually EAL beginners are students who have recently arrived in the UK and have either only basic English from their education abroad or they are complete beginners with no English at all.
Sometimes EAL beginners have been in the UK for some time, but their English may not have developed due to underlying issues, for example a Special Educational Need or Disability.
How are EAL beginner New Arrivals inducted?
On entry to the school EAL a New Arrival’s Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing Levels are assessed so that they can be given a temporary personalised timetable. This timetable includes some lessons with the EAL Coordinator to focus on learning the English they will need to be more confident in class and around the school. They are also assigned class buddies, who are fluent in their home language if possible.
How are EAL students supported in class?
The EAL Coordinator works with classroom teachers to help children develop English language skills, and learning strategies.
Often small groups including EAL beginners are coached separately from the class with the EAL teacher to allow them more interaction within a lesson.
The EAL teacher adds an English language development focus to lessons across the curriculum through working with subject teachers to differentiate lesson planning for varying language levels,
by working closely with EAL students in class to ensure they understand tasks and are responding appropriately and by monitoring, marking and redrafting/remodeling their written work.
How are EAL students supported at school?
An EAL student’s progress, welfare and behaviour is closely monitored so that any problems can be solved as soon as possible.
Homework support is offered most days at lunchtimes or immediately after school.
Parents and other family members are encouraged to be proactive with homework, reading and English acquisition. They are kept up to date with their child’s progress via parents’ evenings and home calls.
How are EAL students supported once fluency is achieved?
EAL students continue to be monitored and offered support up to their GCSEs in order to identify language problems for example with grammar or with subject specific technical language.
