Introduction to EAL in schools

This toolkit contains everything you need to help you plan a whole school approach to English as an additional language (EAL) as well as how to respond when a child or young person (CYP) needs support with EAL.

Definition of EAL

A child or young person (CYP) has EAL if they have been exposed to a language other than English during early development and continue to be exposed to this language in the home or in the community.

CYP with EAL may be fluent in English. They may have been born in the UK. They may speak more than two languages. It is important to have a full picture of a CYP's home languages to ensure we can celebrate and utilise all of their language abilities. 

How many EAL CYP are there in our schools and settings?

In England, 975,238 CYP in primary schools were recorded as speaking English as an additional language, and a further 601,238 in secondary schools (School Census, 2021).

How can having EAL impact on education?

The term 'EAL' gives minimal information about a CYP as there can be many other factors which will impact a CYP's progress in school including their proficiency in English, when they arrive in the English education system, their first language and cultural background, academic ability, support networks and experience of life in the UK. The Bell Foundation provides further information on this.

Resources

Help! I've got a CYP or group of CYP that needs support with EAL, what can I do?

To access a link to a padlet with step by step guidance on how to respond and support CYP with English as an additional language as well as a collection of FAQs, click on the button:

Individual or group approach to EAL in schools

We would like to take a whole-school approach to EAL

To access an audit and action planning tool and whole school approach guide, click on the button:

Whole school approach to EAL in schools

Use the audit and action planning tool to identify areas of strength and areas for further development.

If you need any bespoke support and guidance, we are happy to help and can be contacted at inclusionandsend@norfok.gov.uk or on 01603 307736.