Supporting EAL children and young people and their families: Admission and transition best practices

This One Minute Guide provides valuable information for office staff as well as teachers, leadership teams, inclusion leads and parent support advisers. 

What is the admissions process for children and young people with EAL (English as a Second Language)?

Admissions is the process of welcoming new families and their children into the school. It is a crucial opportunity to establish a positive relationship, understand a family's background, and set the tone for a successful integration into the school environment.

Why is it important to get it right? 

Getting admissions right ensures that families feel welcome, safe, and included, which supports the child to flourish. 

It also allows the school to fulfil its safeguarding duties, gather important information e.g. around medical needs, and understand any educational background or needs the child may have. 
It will also help the school to fill out the census data correctly to receive the correct funding. Find out more information on EAL funding in this padlet. 

Important steps to take

Admissions meeting

An initial admissions meeting is an opportunity to build relationships with EAL families, understand their backgrounds, and introduce them to the UK school system. Use interpretation services when necessary to ensure clear communication and safeguarding.

School systems

School systems vary globally. Provide translated information about the UK education system to help families understand different aspects such as starting age, co-education, and teaching styles. The Bell Foundation provides more information to share with families.

Before the meeting

Make sure you have contacted the family in advance of the meeting to ask them to bring relevant documentation. 

• Families should provide proof of date of birth for each child joining the school if this is your policy. 
• Regarding refugees and asylum seekers, it is important to note that where information differs between documents issued by the country of origin and the UK Government, the latter should be considered accurate.
• It is important to record the children and young people's entry date to the UK, not just entry to your school. For children and young people to be entitled to certain exam access arrangements, it may be necessary to provide some evidence of the child or young person's entry date into the UK. 
• Before the meeting, confirm the family's language abilities and literacy. Arrange for interpreters if needed and prepare a translated 'Welcome Pack' with visuals. If the family are reluctant to have an interpreter, it can be helpful to explain that you would like an interpreter as your skills in their home language are not very good. This can remove the pressure from the family to be seen to be speaking the language of the school. 

Transition documentation

For children transitioning from abroad, check for any educational documentation. Use Children and young people profiles to share or gather information about the child's educational background and needs. Access the children and young people profiles and other useful information around admissions in this padlet.

During the meeting

• For the admissions meeting, ensure there is a pre-prepared space that is private, comfortable and well ventilated. 
• It is important that you capture which languages are spoken at home so you can accurately complete your school census data to release the correct funding. 
• We have produced a helpful EAL Pupil Profile template that includes the key information you should gather from your admissions meeting which can be found on this EAL padlet.

What support is available? 

National

General school admissions guidance

GOV.UK provides comprehensive guidance on how to apply for both primary and secondary school places, including moving from another country or area and in-year applications. This is important for EAL families navigating the admissions process:

• School admissions: How to apply - GOV.UK
• School admissions: Choosing schools - GOV.UK

Bell Foundation

The Bell Foundation provides guides to families on the English educational system which have been translated. These can be printed and given to the family for support. 

Norfolk

Our local offer draws upon what is available nationally, helping you contextualise approaches, and provides targeted support to meet the needs of your school community.

We also have several other EAL One Minute Guides which you may find helpful:

• English as an additional language (EAL) One Minute Guide 
• Young Interpreters Scheme One Minute Guide 
• Refugee and asylum-seeking children or young people One Minute Guide

If you are looking for more in-depth support for children and young people with EAL, then please explore our English as an additional language (EAL) toolkit.

In addition, we have a Bitesize Briefing to Welcoming children and young people with EAL into school which you may find useful.

Key contacts

If you would like some talk to a member of our team for additional support and guidance, then please contact us on 0333 313 7165. 

Interpretation services can be accessed through INTRAN.