EAL- Brooklands Farm children/Parents reviews

Frequently asked questions

Is there an EAL curriculum?

No, there is no nationally agreed curriculum for school aged EAL learners in England.

In England, the policy since the mid 1980s is that EAL learners, with all learners, should have equal access to the National Curriculum with no specific EAL curriculum. The focus has been on delivering National Curriculum English , which has been considered a good model for both first and additional language learning.

Is there a nationally agreed EAL assessment system?

No. The statutory requirements for assessing pupils with EAL are the same as that for pupils with English as a first language. Teachers are expected to use the National Curriculum English attainment levels for the assessment of the English language development of pupils with EAL. However many schools do use different assessment methods and materials, including EAL stages.

EAL-Who are New Arrival EAL?

High mobility within school populations has been a common feature of many cities in England for decades. In these cities, schools have become accustomed to welcoming new arrivals and supporting them with induction procedures that enable children and young people to rapidly become accustomed to schooling in the UK and make good progress. Indeed, many new arrivals outperform their peers after a few years of education in the UK.

The new arrivals’ experience

New arrivals are not a homogenous group and do not necessarily have a common set of educational needs. New arrivals may:

have had full schooling in another country;

  • have had no previous schooling;
  • have had interrupted schooling;
  • be literate in one or more languages;
  • be highly motivated;
  • be gifted and talented;
  • be used to a different educational system;
  • have a fractured educational history;
  • have attended one or more schools (in England or abroad) before the present one;
  • have learning difficulties;
  • come from a range of cultural, religious, national and linguistic backgrounds;
  • be living with parents who are experiencing emotional difficulties or withdrawal themselves;
  • be experiencing cultural disorientation as well as feelings of loss, grief and isolation.

It is vitally important to acknowledge this diversity and complexity at the outset in order to:

  • respond to children’s diverse learning needs;
  • set suitable learning challenges;
  • overcome potential barriers to learning

(New Arrivals Excellence Programme Guidance 10 Primary and Secondary National Strategies)