1. Welcoming New Arrivals and Raising the Attainment of EAL/BME Pupils

2. Objectives
To develop understanding of the diverse needs of ethnic minority pupils
To develop understanding and skills in supporting children learning English as an additional language (EAL) and Minority Ethnic Background (MEB) pupils

3. New arrivals may:
Have had full schooling in another country, interrupted schooling or no previous schooling
Be literate in one or more languages
Be used to a different education system with different pedagogy
Come from a range of cultural, religious, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds
Be experiencing cultural disorientation, loss, grief or isolation
With regard to EAL pupils, we need to consider first their backgrounds.
Some of new arrivals may be ASR, will have experienced trauma and upheaval, almost all will be feeling nervous at starting school with little or no English in a foreign country.
Discuss points.
When we think of the experiences some of our new arrivals, particularly ASR children we need to consider:
What might be the potential challenges faced by newly-arrived children?
What factors do schools need to address to support newly-arrived children?
The first step is in stopping to consider the individual child and how best to meet their particular needs.

4. What you need to know to support EAL pupils
Country of origin
First language
Other language(s) spoken in family
Immigration status
Number of years in the UK
Religion
Health, diet etc
Education history
Ethnicity ??

5. Barriers To Learning For EAL Students
school/
educational
setting
family
Child or Young
Person
wider world
community

6. Barriers to learning for EAL/MEB students
FAMILY
‘LOSS’ OF A FAMILY MEMBER
LACK OF EXTENDED FAMILY
CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS OF GIRLS AND BOYS
ASPIRATIONS OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC GROUPS
MIXED DISCIPLINARY APPROACHES
LACK OF FATHER OR AUTHORITY FIGURE
SCHOOL OR
EDUCATIONAL SETTING
LACK OF MOTIVATION
LOW SELF-ESTEEM
LACK OF BI-LINGUAL RESOURCES
PRIOR EDUCATION (ZERO – HERO!)
WIDER WORLD
LACK OF POSITIVE ROLE MODELS
RACISM / ISLAMAPHOBIA
EXPERIENCE OF TRAUMATIC EVENTS
NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARDS MIGRANT WORKERS
MEDIA CONSTRUCTED IMAGE OF COUNTRIES
LENGTHY AND ONGOING ASYLUM CLAIMS
COMMUNITY
LIMITED ACCESS TO ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES
CULTURE OR ‘IDENTITY’ CRISIS
POOR HOUSING
ANXIETY AROUND AUTHORITY FIGURES

7. Overcoming barriers for new arrivals
Translation of key materials and forms
Use of interpreters and bilingual staff
Establish pastoral support systems within school
Ensure the child’s linguistic and cultural background is reflected within the school environment
For the teacher, it is useful to develop simple strategies in your classroom to help you communicate effectively with new arrivals during the early days.
Talk through/explain
As with all new pupils, the HT or member of SLT will first interview the parents and child.
With EAL families, this initial interview is a particularly important means of gathering useful information, which will provide the context for initial TA and planning for the child.
Schools can arrange for an interpreter to support this first meeting if necessary by contacting Plymouth Translate. Schools will need to cover the cost of this.
TALK THROUGH KEY POINTS 3 – 6 (show Pilgrim prospectus/website)
TASK: Think about the background info that should be gathered about a new arrival and why this info will be valuable.

8. Creating a welcoming environment
Multilingual signs around the school
Displays with positive images of people, places or things from the child’s home country reflecting their culture
Classroom displays written in the scripts of the languages spoken by children in the class
Dual language books, tapes, CDs in the child’s language
Stories, poems and drama from the child’s culture used in literacy lessons
Children using their home language for learning within the classroom
Whole class and staff using multilingual greetings
language of the month
First impressions are extremely important and say a lot!
In order to make new arrivals feel welcome and valued, it is good to ensure that the school environment supports learning, is accessible and reflects diversity.
TALK THROUGH

9. Key points
New arrivals are not a homogenous group – children come from a range of social experiences and backgrounds and will therefore have diverse needs
One of the first steps in welcoming new arrivals is to help them feel safe and secure in their new environment
Schools should always try to provide first language support through other children or adults where possible

10. Key points
An important part of children feeling safe and secure is seeing their language and culture reflected in their surroundings
All children and staff play a key role in welcoming new arrivals
The more (true) information you have about a student, the better their school experience will be and the easier it is to teach and learn

11. EAL and/or SEN?
How can you tell?
Next steps….

12. Indicators How long the child has been in the country
Which language they use at home and how well they are progressing in this language
Progress in literacy especially but in all areas of the curriculum
How they present (social, emotional, behavioural factors)
Which areas they have difficulties in
How they are at home (parental concerns?)

13. Next Steps Speak to parents (may need translation)
Discussion with SENCo
Assessment/observation (may involve translation)
Intervention
External advice and support
Monitoring
* Beware social stigmas that exist regarding SEN in some cultures/countries

15. Teaching & Learning: Raising the Attainment of EAL/MEB Pupils
February 2013
Angela de Britos

16. Part 1 - Teaching & Learning
Aims:
To understand the principles of effective teaching and learning practice for EAL/MEB pupils
To explore a range of learning and teaching approaches that support curriculum access and English language development
To understand how effective assessment will support progression and inform teaching

17. 1. Which two describe ‘diversity’ most accurately?
a) treating people as individuals, fairly and with respect & dignity
b) meeting targets and ticking boxes
c) being inclusive and offering everyone the same opportunities
d) offering vegetarian options in the school canteen
2. Who was Britain’s first Black mayor?
a) Paul Bogle (1865)
b) John Archer (1913)
c) Lord Pitt (1975)
d) James Taylor (1997)
3. How many languages are spoken in Plymouth schools?
a) 3
b) 15
c) 40
d) 50+

18. EAL – English as an Additional Language BME – Black & Minority Ethnic
Some terminology……
EAL – English as an Additional Language
BME – Black & Minority Ethnic
BAME – Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic
MEB – Minority Ethnic Background
ASR – Asylum Seeker/Refugee
neither

19. The national context
MEB pupils make up 24.5% of all primary school pupils and 20.6% of all secondary school pupils
EAL pupils make up 15.2% of all primary pupils and 11.1% of all secondary pupils
Metropolitan areas main concentration of MEB/EAL pupils
It doesn’t matter where you teach – be it in a big city or a village – all teachers have a responsibility to develop knowledge and skills to enable them to best meet the needs of BME/EAL pupils, just as they will develop skills to meet the needs of G&T or SEN pupils – this is what personalised learning is all about, meeting the diverse needs of every child through inclusive planning.

20. Profile in Plymouth schools
7% of school population
Approximately 1350 EAL
Approximately 50 languages including English
Majority languages: Polish, Arabic, Portuguese
Although MEB pupils make up a small percentage of the total number of pupils in cities like Plymouth, they are no less important and teachers should develop skills to meet their needs, just as they would for any child.
In fact, it is probably more important that teachers address the needs of those isolated BME learners, who may be more at risk of underachievement due to isolation, bullying and so on, than children living in areas where there are large, supportive ethnic minority groups.
As student teachers, you may find work anywhere in the UK, and will need to be able to meet the needs of your local school community.

21. ‘Every teacher an EAL teacher’
Aim – to develop sustainable capacity in order to meet the needs of MEB and EAL pupils, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to achieve

22. Initial Assessment
Assessment should be carried out by the child’s teacher
Children should be assessed within the first few days in school
Allow time for sensitive, individual initial assessment in reading, writing, speaking, listening and mathematics
Assess new arrivals regularly in the early stages
1:1 time, need only be 15 minutes during assemble, PPA etc. Ask simple questions to assess how much English a child has.
Looking at a story book or picture atlas and discussing the text and pictures to assess whether the child has any knowledge of written text/English, can understand key words etc. Select text sensitively.
Practical maths tasks in 1:1 session will indicate if a child has any understanding of basic operations – a child with no English may be advanced cognitively. Later, observing a child in group tasks will tell you a lot about the childs understanding as they try to join in with practical work, and socialisation.
In group work, encourage a child to write in their first language if they can or scaffold English writing, again this will indicate to you the child’s ability.
Evidence = Pair/group work, whole class discussion, children’s written work, children’s responses, children’s reflections on their own work, 1:1 discussions (CT or TA) written notes/plans/annotations, observation and reflection …….any thing else…… SCRIBE ON BOARD
Children learn English quickly. A child with no English may be cognitively advanced and it is important to maintain their learning experience.
SEE WHAT EACH CHILD CAN DO, AND PUT IN PLACE SCAFFOLDING AS YOU WOULD TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ANY CHILD.

23. Assessing new arrivals
Avoid undue stress
Use a range of methods
Informal assessment
Observation
Previous school records
Discussion with children & parents/carers
Recognises what pupils can do and rewards achievement
Is based on different types of evidence
Is a valid reflection of what has been taught
Is reliable and repeatable
Is manageable

24. Teaching & Learning
In order to plan and provide for students who are learning EAL (and assess their progress), we firstly need to unpick language learning.....

25. Can You Order the Stages of Language Acquisition?
A3 sheets activity
Think about babies lang development

26. Listening and absorbing
Responding to instructions
Imitating and copying modelled language
Trying one or two word phrases
Speech grammatically incomplete
Extending sentences with support
Coping with a range of listeners
Showing grammatical complexity
Extending range of ideas and meaning
Engaging in social and academic dialogue
Speaking clearly and using growing vocabulary
Competent and independent
Using language appropriately across the curriculum and in a variety of social contexts

27. Strategies to support children new to English (1)
Use visuals, actions and real objects to support meaning
Use active tasks
Use practical tasks with opportunities from speaking and listening
Vary the activities within a lesson
Identify key vocabulary and teach it explicitly
Anticipate language demands that might create difficulties
Provide models of the language the child will be expected to use
These strategies can all be used to effectively support children new to English, and those EAL pupils who have already acquired a level of competency in English, but may still require support during lessons in order to access curriculum specific vocabulary and complex language used in teaching and learning.
We know that EAL pupils learn English quickly, but they learn social English very quickly from their peers. This can be deceptive in the classroom, as the teacher can sometimes forget that a child with a good grasp of social English, may still have little or no understanding of curriculum specific language.
It is important to continue to use support strategies which enable children to attach meaning to language with EAL pupils as they progress.

28. Strategies to support children new to English (2)
Plan speaking and listening activities
Use a bilingual dictionary, where appropriate
Use home language where possible
Use assessment for learning processes
Ensure success by creating a manageable task
All of these strategies are part of QF teaching – the way in which good primary teachers work with all pupils!
It’s just a case of careful planning, anticipating the needs of your EAL pupils in the same way that you would your G&T, SEN etc. and planning appropriately.
When we think about personalised learning, adapting our teaching to meet the needs of individuals, and being flexible in adapting planning in line with individual pupil progress, we can see that including EAL pupils in that way of working comes naturally.

29. making contexts supportive for children learning EAL
Access to the curriculum:
making contexts supportive for children learning EAL
Building on previous experience
Scaffolding language and learning
Activating prior knowledge
Using bilingual strategies
Modelling
Planned opportunities for speaking and listening
Use of ICT
Frames and prompts
Creating shared experiences
Paired talk
Collaborative activities
Graphic organisers and other visuals
Ensuring contexts are culturally familiar
If we look closely at these strands of support, we can consider practical strategies for use in the classroom.
1 Building on previous experience:
Activate prior knowledge through planning sequential learning and include revision of key concepts at the start of each lesson. Make sure that learning objectives are displayed and shared in lesson openings, and revisited during plenary sessions, so children are clear about what they have learned and their next steps.
Create shared experiences to start units of work, eg; initiate narrative writing units with a visit or sensory experience to enthuse all learners but to provide your EAL pupils with that prior knowledge needed.
Look closely at planning to make it as culturally inclusive as possible, eg; when studying biographical text in Y5/6 use texts such as Coming to England, we will see examples of bilingual strategies in a film clip shortly.
Allowing children to use their first language where relevant.
2 Scaffolding language and learning:
Make use of writing frames and scaffolding tools such as bilingual dictionaries and supportive classroom display, home/school key vocabulary books, key cards given to children showing key concepts/words. Consider AfL and ensure that your learning environment is print rich, making good use of BLP tools such as WILF/ traffic lights etc.
Model key learning using practical tasks and demonstration as much as possible.
Use ICT as an integral part of your lessons, planning opportunities for EAL pupils to have access to a computer for writing, saving info, quick online translation on babelfish and so on.
Include all these measures briefly in your planning so it is evident that you are planning for inclusion.
Visual timetable, labels on drawers etc labels and signs around the school and classroom – make sure the child is familiar with and has a chance to encounter them though.
3 As with all planning of QF teaching and learning, make good use of opportunities for speaking and listening – these will really help your pupils new to English learn from their peers.
Talk partners
Rehearse and practise ideas and language before putting pen to paper.
Interactive, fun,
Peer work – good role models!
Exploratory talk
Extended talk between adults and children
The print environment
Communicative activities such as barrier games and experiential learning

30. Promoting access to the curriculum A Year 3 teacher discusses strategies she uses to support EAL pupils.
Watch clip, consider strategies used by the teacher to enable access to the curriculum and support English language acquisition.
(Strategies used are: Speaking & listening activities – response partners/ Drama, opportunities for rehearsing language/ Careful pairing for speaking activities/good role models for English/ Use of gestures and facial expressions.)

31. How long does it take?
1 – 2 years for BICS (basic interpersonal communication skills)
5-7 years for CALPS (cognitive academic language proficiency)
Ref: Jim Cummins (1984) Clevedon: Multilingual Matters

32. Different forms of bilingualism
1.Sequential Bilingualism - is when a child begins the process of second language (L2) acquisition after the first language (L1) is established
2.Simultaneous Bilingualism - is when a child grows up learning two languages (L1 & L2) - or more! - at the same time

33. Specific issues for EAL learners
Getting to grips with English as well as with the Curriculum
Vocabulary development
Developing cognitive and academic language
Distinguishing meanings, e.g. everyday meanings from different curriculum areas – ‘table’ ‘point’
Developing knowledge of culturally-based language idioms, e.g. a bit under the weather; or metaphors e.g. raining cats and dogs

34. When learning new words, EAL pupils need to…
See them
Hear them
Use them in sentences
Rehearse them
Read them
Write them
Revise them
Use them in different contexts

35. Support strategies - word level
Use labeled diagrams to highlight key vocabulary
Use picture dictionaries
Produce bilingual word lists
Provide lists of key words to look up in a bilingual dictionary
Highlight key words in the text for pupil to look up in bilingual dictionary
Send key word lists home prior to lessons for parents to translate and explain
Pre-teach key words prior to lessons using games e.g. use flashcards to play pairs game, make picture bingo cards

36. Support strategies - sentence level
Highlight key part of sentence structure
Provide model sentences for pupils to refer to
Provide gap fill sentences for pupils to complete with key vocabulary
Practice sentences orally before writing
Scaffold writing using writing frames

37. Support strategies - text level
Highlight key areas of text or cut the text to leave key information
Use writing frames to support the organisation of text
Provide a model piece of writing to illustrate what is required and model writing regularly when working with pupils
Allow pupil to write in their first language and translate what they have written either orally or in writing
Allow pupil to complete the task orally while somebody else writes down their ideas
Provide jumbled sentences that need to be sorted to produce a complete text

38. What the child has to do – comparing, justifying, explaining, etc.
Language demands
The main purpose for which the child needs to use language in the lesson
What the child has to do – comparing, justifying, explaining, etc.
What the child needs to say – phrases, grammatical structures, etc.
Vocabulary
Key Vocab, word banks
Identifying the language demands of a lesson will enable teachers to not only focus on the language contained within the lesson , but help them to identify what language needs to be modelled and scaffolded in order to enable EAL learners to access the lesson.
It will also help teachers consider the language development through the lesson. We can then go on to identify the grammatical features needed.

39. Teaching sequence to support EAL learners
Identify language needed
Plan how to model language
Plan opportunities for language use by children new to English
Assess children’s use of targeted language
Identify next steps
This approach in planning lessons will support all children learning EAL, at whatever stage, and indeed will support all learners.
It creates a greater awareness of the language used in the lesson for teachers and other adults, and helps teachers to plan meaningful contexts to help children attach meaning to language and to practice using language in a meaningful way.

40. A Language in Common (QCA 2000)
Extended scale for children new to English
Relates to National Curriculum levels already being used
Enables schools to systematically track progress
Must be used when making applications for special considerations for end of KS2 SATs.
Assessment based upon a broad range of evidence
Use step and level descriptors to make ‘best fit’ assessment judgements
Use ALIC exemplification to confirm assessment levels
ALinC
SHOW ALIC BOOKLET ‘A Language in Common’ is the QCA national assessment. It extends the NC English levels for children new to English, in order to describe achievement levels in speaking, listening, reading and writing in the early stages of English language acquisition, describing learners’ development at 2 steps before NC level 1.
All applications for special considerations in KS2 SATs must be made using ALIC criteria.
The introduction of APP (assessing pupil progress) in schools in recent years will impact upon assessing EAL learners in English, together with personalisation of learning.
As APP is embedded across KS1/2 & 3 it will provide the structure for AfL for all children inclusively.
So whilst initial assessment of EAL pupils will be specific, using ALIC, AfL in terms of progress and planning for teaching and learning will be inclusive for all.

41. Key points
Quality-first teaching in an inclusive curriculum provides the best support for EAL/MEB pupils
Children learn English best in the mainstream classroom
EAL learners should be given opportunities to use their first language for learning
The language learning context can be made more supportive for children new to English through the use of a range of scaffolding strategies
Planning needs to identify language demands, support and opportunities
Children who are new to English need to be provided with achievable tasks that provide appropriate age- related cognitive demands
Planning and teaching of EAL learners should be based on evidence gathered through a variety of assessment approaches
Supporting Pupils Booklet

42. Useful Reading
Haslam, L., Wilkin, Y. and Kellet, E. (2005) English as an additional language : meeting the challenge in the classroom
Graf, M. (2011) Including and supporting learners of English as an additional language
Scott, C. (2009) Teaching children English as an additional language : a programme for 7-11 year olds
Crosse, K. (2007) Introducing English as an additional language to young children : a practical handbook
Washbourne, A. (2011) The EAL Pocketbook
Pim, C. (2012) 100 Ideas for Supporting Learners with EAL

43. Useful Reading New Arrivals Excellence Programme Ref: 00426- 2007
Aiming High – Understanding the educational needs of minority ethnic pupils in mainly white schools. Ref: DfES/0416/2004
Aiming High – raising the achievement of African-Caribbean pupils Ref:DfES/0694/2003
Supporting pupils learning English as an additional language. Ref:DfES0239/2002
A Language in Common – QCA Ref: QCA/00/584
Any questions? Resources.
Hope this training has been useful.
As NQTs you will receive further training in this area in many LAs.
THANKS/CLOSE

44. Teaching strategies and learning opportunities
In this Year 2 class the teacher has planned carefully to identify language demands and provide opportunities for EAL pupils to use different language functions.
As you watch the clip, consider the strategies used and try to identify the language demands.
TASK: feedback.
Note:
Both teacher and children are giving instructions, includes time connectives and using the imperitive.
Teacher also extends children’s vocab. using ‘sprinkle, decorate, spread.’
Note also the learning environment reflecting cultural diversity, and this respect for other cultures is also shown in the way the teacher uses the parent, and the Turkish child’s first language.

45. Promoting access to the curriculum A Year 3 teacher discusses strategies she uses to support EAL pupils.
Watch clip, consider strategies used by the teacher to enable access to the curriculum and support English language acquisition.
TASK; discussion/feedback key points 5 mins.
(Strategies used are:
Speaking & listening activities – response partners
Drama, opportunities for rehearsing language
Careful pairing for speaking activities/good role models for English
Use of gestures and facial expressions.)