At Westacre Middle School, we value the languages, cultures and experiences that pupils bring to our school community. We are committed to ensuring that pupils who use English as an Additional Language (EAL) are fully included in school life and have every opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Our aim is to ensure that EAL pupils:

• feel welcomed, valued and included;

• develop confidence in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English;

• can access a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum;

• make strong academic and personal progress; and

• are able to participate fully in all aspects of school life.

Supporting EAL Pupils in the Classroom

All teachers are responsible for supporting pupils' language development as well as their subject knowledge. Teachers plan carefully to ensure that pupils can understand, participate in and succeed within lessons.

Support may include:

• clear explanations and modelling of new languages;

• pre-teaching and revisiting key vocabulary;

• visual prompts, images, diagrams and practical resources;

• opportunities for talk, discussion and rehearsal before writing;

• sentence starters, writing frames and other appropriate scaffolds;

• checking pupils' understanding regularly;

• carefully selected resources which are age appropriate and accessible;

• making links with pupils' first languages where helpful; and

• adapting support as pupils become increasingly confident and independent in English.

We recognise and celebrate multilingualism as a strength and encourage pupils to value and use their home languages alongside developing their English.

Assessment and Identifying Need

We monitor EAL pupils' progress carefully and consider both their proficiency in English and their wider academic achievement.

Having English as an additional language does not mean that a pupil has a special educational need or disability (SEND). Where there are concerns about a pupil's progress, we consider their language development carefully alongside other evidence to ensure that any additional needs are identified accurately and that the right support is provided.

Where appropriate, information about a pupil's first language and previous educational experiences will also help us build a fuller picture of their strengths and needs.

Working with Families

We recognise that strong partnerships with parents and carers are important. We aim to make communication with families as clear and accessible as possible and will consider translation or interpreting support where this is needed.

We encourage families to continue speaking, reading and sharing stories in their home language. A strong foundation in a child's first language can support their learning and development of additional languages.

Our Commitment

We are committed to:

• high expectations for all EAL pupils;

• removing barriers to learning and participation;

• providing appropriate classroom support without unnecessarily reducing challenge;

• celebrating linguistic and cultural diversity;

• supporting staff to develop effective approaches to teaching EAL learners; and

• working closely with pupils and families to ensure every child feels that they belong at Westacre.