Whole school approach to EAL in schools

Click on the links to access information, guidance and resources that can be applied to a whole-school approach, including an audit and action planning tool.

Try these 'quick wins' before thinking about anything else to get you started and see the difference you could make.

• Check that your admissions process collates a complete picture of the children and young people (CYP). Watch our short admissions video and use our template CYP profiles: Primary Profile and Secondary Profile.
• Use professional interpretation services when communicating with families. INTRAN offers a range of interpretation services to schools including telephone and face-to-face interpretation.
• Use an English as an additional language (EAL) assessment framework like Bell Foundation or NASSEA to track CYP progress and provide effective teaching strategies.

Use this whole-school and setting approach  EAL audit and action planning tool (Excel doc) [166KB] to identify areas of good practice and areas for improvement. The tool will provide you with guidance and resources for every area to ensure you achieve a measurable impact.

If you need any bespoke support and guidance, or have a CYP at risk of permanent exclusion (PEX), we are happy to help and can be contacted at inclusionandsend@norfok.gov.uk.

Celebrating and representing CYP with EAL

Children and young people (CYP) with English as an additional language (EAL) will be more successful in schools and settings where they feel welcome, safe and valued.

Schools and settings should ensure all CYP can see themselves as well as their languages and cultures represented in displays and resources, teaching materials used and books in the library. These padlets provide examples of picture books and chapter books for a diverse library offer.

CYP with EAL should be given opportunities to use their first language to enhance their learning throughout the curriculum. Schools and settings should celebrate the diversity of languages spoken within the school through displays, assemblies and events such as the International Mother Language Day.

Dual language books and books in home languages demonstrate the value given to knowing another language and of having a different cultural background. Home languages should be included in displays and notice boards. CYP on school councils and in leadership roles should be representative of the entire cohort and, where possible, staff and governors should also be reflective of the school or setting community. The curriculum should be reviewed regularly, including topics and links relevant to CYP with EAL and decolonised where appropriate.

Schools and settings should consider their catering offer and ensure it represents the cultural and religious needs of the community. The uniform policy should incorporate religious requirements and prayer spaces should be made available.

Welcoming new arrivals

The Young Interpreters Scheme is an award-winning scheme that helps schools to welcome new CYP into the community by training CYP who already attend to help new arrivals settle into the school. This includes CYP arriving as refugees and unaccompanied asylum seekers (UASC). English speaking CYP and those with an additional language can all be trained to be empathetic buddies. This scheme has been recognised and valued by Ofsted. For more information, email inclusionandsend@norfok.gov.uk or read our One Minute Guide: Young Interpreters Scheme.

For children of Roma families, who may speak a number of other languages and have gaps in education, additional support is available - contact inclusionandsend@norfok.gov.uk.

Additional support for UASC (unaccompanied asylum seeker children) is also available from the Norfolk Virtual School for Children in Care, Previously in Care and Children with a Social Worker. Contact Virtual.SchoolsUASC@norfolk.gov.uk.

Families new to the UK may need additional support to understand school systems and online platforms. They should be given a tour of the school or setting and offered uniform where finances are a barrier e.g. asylum seekers. Welcome packs and important information should be available in families' home languages. The school or setting website should have a translation app built in to increase accessibility.

Interpretation services should be used when communicating with families/carers who are not proficient in English.

• Professional interpretation should be used to share information with families as part of the admissions process.
• It is important that families are aware that these services are available, and that staff feel confident to use them.
• The Language Line telephone interpretation service provided by INTRAN is ideal for telephone communication with families and for providing interpretation for face-to-face meetings. More information is available from INTRAN.
• Safeguarding policies and procedures should ensure that interpretation services are used when discussing safeguarding issues with EAL families.

Supporting CYP with EAL to flourish

Language support may be necessary for new arrivals and adaptations may need to be made to lessons.

The impact of trauma on EAL CYP, especially those from a refugee or asylum-seeking background, should be understood by all staff. Support should be put in place to ensure CYP foster positive relationships and develop a sense of belonging and self-worth.

Trauma-informed practice should form part of CPD for all staff. Schools and settings should be trauma-informed and ensure forcibly displaced CYP have a safe place to be and trusted adults to build relationships with. The International Rescue Committee provides free trauma-informed training through their Healing Classrooms programme.

Working towards becoming a School of Sanctuary will allow you to review and reflect on your welcoming environment and help you develop your inclusive ethos. Celebrating A Day of Welcome is a powerful way to start this process. For more information, read this One Minute Guide: Schools of Sanctuary.

It is important to have a complete overview of English as an additional language (EAL) in your school or setting.

Overall responsibility for EAL should lie with a member of the senior leadership team. This ensures that EAL issues are dealt with appropriately and are considered when developing your school development plan. We have created suggested role descriptions for Primary EAL coordinators (PDF) [168KB] and Secondary EAL coordinators (PDF) [173KB].

Many schools and settings also have a governor with responsibility for EAL that can regularly review progress and attainment for CYP with EAL.

• An EAL register should be kept for CYP and their families, it should record languages spoken, whether they are a refugee/asylum seeker, as well as assessment and support details. EAL CYP are not a homogenous group, and it is important that all staff understand the religious and cultural differences that may present challenges to CYP with EAL, especially when they first arrive.
• Leaders need to understand the funding available for CYP with EAL and refugee cohorts and how this can be utilised. All EAL CYP receive funding for their first 3 years in school in the UK. Refugee CYP may also be entitled to additional funding.
• Leaders should recognise and understand the importance of supporting bilingualism and multilingualism. This should be communicated to all staff through policy and CPD opportunities.
• Leaders must ensure that CYP with EAL have the correct access arrangements when sitting SATs and GCSEs. Where these are available, CYP should be encouraged to sit GCSEs in their first language.
• An EAL assessment framework like Bell Foundation, NASSEA or Solihull should be used to track CYP progress and provide effective teaching strategies.  This ensures that you have an accurate picture of progress and can identify areas for development and gaps in learning.

Schools and settings should have a separate EAL or language policy. This is an effective way of making a clear statement of your commitment to welcoming new arrivals with EAL and ensuring that they have the support to reach their full potential.

Your EAL policy should:

• Detail your approach to welcoming new CYP with EAL, your use of interpretation services, use of EAL assessment frameworks and should communicate your understanding of trauma in relation to EAL CYP.
• Support consistency of provision, of interpretation, assessment and support for CYP with EAL.

This model EAL policy (Word doc) [285KB] can be downloaded and adapted to suit your practices and procedures.

An anti-racism policy sets out your commitment to developing a curriculum and environment that supports all CYP and staff. Guidance on developing a policy is available from the Anna Freud website.  Schools and settings should also have robust policies and procedures in place for responding to and reporting prejudice-based incidents. More information is available in this One Minute Guide: Prejudice-based incidents.

Your safeguarding policy should make clear that professional interpretation services will be used when discussing issues of safeguarding with a CYP or families/carers.

There will be several other policies that relate to teaching, learning and well-being of CYP with EAL. There is a statutory obligation under the Equality Act (2010) to promote equality of opportunity for CYP whatever their race, religion or belief as well as other protected characteristics. This should be clearly stated in the inclusion policy.

The Young Interpreter Scheme recognises the huge potential in children and young people (CYP) of all ages to use their skills and knowledge to support new learners of English so that they feel safe, settled and valued from the start.

• Making the scheme available to both bilingual and monolingual learners is very powerful in developing empathy amongst English speakers towards some of the challenges and difficulties that CYP new to English may be facing. It also increases CYP voice and empowers them to take on leadership roles.
• Through the Young Interpreters Scheme, CYP learn different strategies to clarify, explain and 'interpret' a whole range of school activities, systems and procedures to new arrivals through the medium of CYP-friendly English, where first language is not shared by other CYP or adults. This allows them to have their voice heard.

If needed, CYP should be provided with tools to aid communication and translation so CYP voice can be effectively collected. Depending on age and stage, this could be visual aids such as communication fans and word mats, or tablets or laptops with translation apps such as Google Translate.

It is essential that translation/interpretation are used when collecting CYP voice (such as Wishes and Feelings) for EHAPs and support plans.

Ensure that children and young people (CYP) with English as an additional language (EAL), especially new arrivals, have a buddy or mentor that they feel confident to approach if they are unsure of anything. This may be a peer, an older CYP, or a member of staff. If you are using CYP as buddies, ensure they are aware of the expectations and the strategies for communication. A scheme such as Young Interpreters prepares CYP to be empathetic language buddies.

CYP should have access to good quality translation and communication tools to ensure they can express their needs and concerns clearly and confidently. Depending on age and stage, this could be visual aids such as communication fans and word mats, or tablets or laptops with translation apps such as Google Translate.

The FYI Norfolk website has information on health, education and SEMH advice. It can be translated into other languages and includes a reader function so that it can read text to CYP in their own language.

If you need guidance about how to support an individual CYP who has just been identified as EAL, then please see step by step guidance within the EAL inclusion and SEND padlet.

General support around resettlement

There are several organisations in Norfolk which support resettled and displaced migrant families as well as ethnically diverse communities.  They also offer support, advice, English classes and other activities.

• Norfolk-wide: International Welcome  drop-in sessions throughout Norfolk offer free advice and practical support to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, and those with lived experience of migration into Norfolk
• Norwich: New Routes Integration works with recently resettled ethnic minority individuals, families, children and young people (CYP), and communities in Norwich
• Norwich: The Bridge Plus provides information, advice and advocacy services for ethnic minority individuals and migrant communities
• Great Yarmouth: GYROS provides free information, advice, guidance and advocacy on a range of topics, including immigration, education and health
• Ukraine Support Team: Provides support for families from Ukraine with education, housing, health etc. For more information:
  • Email the team at cspcust@norfolk.gov.uk
  • See Support for people fleeing Ukraine
• The People from Abroad Team: Provides support for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers; see Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers on the Norfolk County Council website for more information
• GRT Advisory TEAM: Provides support with education for Roma families; see Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) 

English lessons for families

English lessons are also available for families with EAL such as ESOL, conversation classes, community interpretation course, etc

• WEA (Workers' Educational Association) provides free English courses at many levels for speakers of other languages
• NCC Adult Learning provides a range of English courses
• Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) provides a range of online and face to face English courses
• English Plus offers free English classes for adults of all levels, from beginner to advanced

Enabling families to support their child's education

The Bell Foundation provides guidance for families, translated into several languages to explain the English education system and advise them on how to support their child with education.

Encouraging families to maintain their child's first language

Research shows that CYP who have well developed first language skills are better equipped to acquire an additional language, such as English.

Essex Education has produced 'The Importance of Home Language leaflet' translated into a variety of languages for schools to share with families to encourage them to support their CYP to maintain their first language, especially their level of literacy.

Safeguarding and wellbeing

Please see Safeguarding and Wellbeing guides (in relation to online safety) translated into a variety of languages.

More support

Also ensure that you do the following to support families:

• Use interpretation services to communicate effectively
• Google Translate or INTRAN can be used to translate documents
  • LA-maintained schools automatically have access to INTRAN and can use their school code to purchase these services.
  • Academies and Free Schools can contact INTRAN to arrange membership.
• Show families that your website can be translated (many have this facility and if yours does not, investigate how this function can be added)
• Involve them in the life of your school or setting e.g. invite them to take part in PTA meetings, volunteering in school and on trips, etc
• Make an induction booklet in simplified English or translated into different languages, to give to families when their child is admitted to school
• Ensure you use interpretation services to talk to families about safeguarding concerns when they arise

Children and young people (CYP) with English as an additional language (EAL) should be supported to learn that their voice and experiences are valued in the same way as other CYP. Schools and settings should recognise bilingualism as an asset and celebrate the importance of the varied home languages that CYP may have.

Primary school

By the end of primary school, CYP should know:

• That others' families, either in school or in the wider world, sometimes look different from their family, but that they should respect those differences and know that other children's families are also characterised by love and care
• The importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs

High quality EAL resources - Primary

• Resources to support in vocabulary development
• Bell Foundation has a variety of information on teaching strategies, sample resources and tools for assessment
• Mantra Lingua supply bilingual books in over 80 languages. Mantra Lingua also produce the PenPal which can be used to read books aloud in different languages
• UNHCR provides resources for teaching about refugees, asylum and migration
• Healing Classrooms provides lots of resources for supporting refugee and asylum-seeking CYP

Secondary school

By the end of secondary school, CYP should know:

• That in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including people in positions of authority and due tolerance of other people's beliefs
• The legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality (particularly with reference to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010) and that everyone is unique and equal
• How stereotypes, in particular stereotypes based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage (for example, how they might normalise non-consensual behaviour or encourage prejudice)

High quality EAL resources - Secondary

• Resources to support in vocabulary development
• Bell Foundation has a variety of information on teaching strategies, sample resources and tools for assessment
• UNHCR provides resources for teaching about refugees, asylum and migration
• Healing Classrooms provides lots of resources for supporting refugee and asylum-seeking CYP
• Bay Language Books provides 'exam suitable' dictionaries in over 60 languages

'EAL Now!' is a one-day face-to-face course that will support you to establish your whole school approach to English as an Additional Language (EAL). The course will be delivered by experienced EAL advisers who will provide you with expert advice and support. You will also have the opportunity to network with other EAL leads and share good practice. The latest course details can be found on the S4S - Training website.

It is important that staff have an awareness of trauma-informed practice and the impact of trauma on CYP with EAL, especially refugees and asylum seekers. The International Rescue Committee provide free training for teachers through their Healing Classrooms programme.

The Anna Freud website has a toolkit for education staff working with children and young people who have been affected by war, migration and asylum.

Regular opportunities to discuss EAL issues and ideas within CPD sessions and staff meetings will also facilitate the sharing of good practice. Progress meetings for EAL CYP and moderation of EAL assessments will help to ensure consistency and encourage discussion and challenge.

Assessment and language progress

An English as an additional language (EAL) assessment framework like the Bell Foundation or NASSEA frameworks should be used to track child and young person (CYP) progress and provide effective teaching strategies.  The frameworks also contain strategies for supporting their language development. The NASSEA framework is particularly suitable for EYFS as it links to Development Matters and the Early Learning Goals. The Bell Foundation - EAL Assessment Framework for Schools is available to download free of charge. The NASSEA Framework has an EYFS tracker that is specifically linked to Development Matters and Early Learning Goals.

Specific EAL assessment trackers should be used to monitor the progress made by CYP with EAL. For new arrivals and CYP with early English language acquisition, progress may be in very small steps that could go unnoticed if relying on whole school or setting tracking systems. By using EAL specific trackers, progress can be shared, gaps in learning can be identified and appropriate next steps can be planned. Reviewing progress this way can highlight plateauing and allow intervention to be started. Schools and settings should also have robust policies and procedures in place for responding to and reporting prejudice-based incidents. More information is available in the One Minute Guide: Prejudice-based Incidents

Recording and reporting

It is important that schools and settings hold accurate information on CYP with EAL to allow monitoring of attendance, engagement and achievement for this vulnerable, often dynamic group.

Information held centrally on CYP management systems will be used for the annual census return each term. It is imperative that the language data is accurately recorded on management information systems for the October census because EAL funding is triggered from this. If a CYP's first language is recorded as a language other than English, the child will be entitled to funding of £595 (primary) or £1605 (secondary) for the first three years they are in school in the UK. Accurate information on the CYP status and/or scheme the family arrived on will help you apply for any additional funding that the CYP is entitled to.

A regularly updated EAL register, using information taken from the CYP profile, will allow all staff to have easy access to useful information such as how a name should be pronounced, languages spoken in the home and how long a CYP has been in the country. We have created an example of an EAL register (Excel doc) [9KB]. This register can also be used to record which CYP have home languages that can be taken as additional GCSEs.

I have a new English as an additional language (EAL) arrival; what do I do?

See information on supporting new arrivals with EAL, including advice on admissions, induction and supporting resources.

What are the access arrangements for CYP with EAL sitting SATs and GCSEs?

Children and young people (CYP) with EAL may be entitled to arrangements such as extra time or use of bilingual dictionaries. Find further information on access arrangements for SATs and access arrangements for GCSEs.

How do I enter a CYP in their first language GCSE and find an oral examiner?

See further information on entering CYP for first language GCSEs.

What funding is available for EAL / refugee CYP?

Funding is available for CYP with EAL for their first 3 years in school in the UK. Refugee CYP may be entitled to extra funding.

Is there any additional guidance or support for refugee, asylum seeker or Roma CYP?

See the EAL/EDC padlet of additional resources for supporting refugee and asylum seeker CYP.

For support for Roma children visit the Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) Advisory Team web section.

For support for UASC (Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children) go to Unaccompanied asylum seeker children (UASC) and refugee children web page or email Virtual.SchoolsUASC@norfolk.gov.uk.

How can my school join the Young Interpreters scheme?

Read more about the fully-funded scheme in our One Minute Guide: Young Interpreters Scheme. For further information, email inclusionandsend@norfok.gov.uk.

How can our school become a School of Sanctuary?

Find out more about becoming a School of Sanctuary in this One Minute Guide: Schools of Sanctuary.

What alternative qualifications can older EAL CYP take if they cannot easily access GCSEs?

The following qualifications are available:

• English language development: ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) - Pearson qualifications
• Preparing CYP for GCSE English or to take instead of GCSE English, where this is not easily accessible
  • ELC Step Up To English (entry level certificate) - AQA
  • Functional Skills - Pearson qualifications
• Provide an achievable alternative qualification for which CYP can use their creative skills and first language to achieve the award such as the Arts Award.