Admissions, Induction and Support Guidance for Pupils with ... Admission and Induc… · EAL Admission & Induction Guidance The booklet is based on guidance from the Havering EMA

Admissions, Induction and Support Guidance for Pupils with English as

an Additional Language

EAL Amission & Induction Guidance

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Admission and Induction Procedures

3. Preparing for the Arrival of a Pupil with EAL

4. Supporting New Pupils

5. Planning for Pupils with EAL

6. Assessing Pupils with EAL

7. Further Information

Appencides

i. Admission Interview

ii. Planning Checklist

iii. Initial Assessment

EAL Admission & Induction Guidance

The booklet is based on guidance from the Havering EMA Team.

Introduction This booklet is designed to give support and guidance for those staff involved in the admission and induction of pupils with English as an Additional Language. It contains information for office staff, teachers and teaching assistants with the aim of giving a consistent approach to the admission and induction procedures.

EAL Teaching Assistants

The school has an EAL Teaching Assistant in each Key Stage who is responsible for the consistent approach to the induction of pupils with EAL in their Key Stage. The Teaching Assistants report to the EAL Coordinator.

Admissions

Investing time in good admission practices is important for all pupils and staff. Successful admission policies will enable pupils to settle quickly and begin learning. The school’s admission procedures ensure that as much information about the child is gathered prior to them starting school. When a pupil with EAL visits the school the Office Manager will arrange an interview with the relevant EAL Teaching Assistant. The first meeting with a family and child will establish the basis of the home-school relationship and will provide information which will enable the child to settle into the new school quickly. The EAL Teaching Assistants will collect information at the initial interview and produce an information sheet to share with teachers. All staff will be briefed on new arrivals to ensure a consistent approach to communication, expectations of behaviour and achievement, and to advise on any known specific information. It is important that staff are informed about the new pupil and given time to prepare for their arrival. School policy ensures that there is a gap of time between the initial interview and the pupil’s start date. The EAL Teaching assistant will work alongside the EAL Coordinator to support teachers in preparing for the arrival and the induction of new pupils.



Procedures Initial Meeting with pupil and parents x Office Manager invites family to the school for an initial meeting. x Essential information is collected at the meeting regarding contact details and medical needs. x Parents /carers informed of school requirements e.g. uniform, P.E kit, swimming days, lunch

arrangements, timing for school days etc. x Parents and pupil is given a tour of the school and is introduced to their class teacher x Parents /carers are informed of EAL interview date and time (the closest Friday afternoon). x Parents / carers are informed that the pupils start date is to be delayed so that proper preparations

can be made to support them. Start date given for the Wednesday following the interview day. x Office Manger to notify relevant EAL TA of interview time and date.

EAL Interview x Relevant EAL TA to meet with parents and pupils. x Essential information regarding language, exposure to English, previous schooling, and interests is

collected using the Admission Interview form. x EAL TA clarifies that parents/carers are aware of school expectations. x Parents are reminded of start date and time.

Before Start Date x EAL TA ensures that the class teacher receives relevant information gathered from admissions

meeting and is informed of the pupils start date. x Teaching staff are reminded by the EAL TA that proper preparations - in terms of resources,

provision and planning – must be undertaken before the pupils start date. A list of EAL requirements and resources available are given.

x EAL TA ensures the class teacher is provided with a box of appropriate EAL resources. x Two “Class buddies” are selected from the class and the EAL TA meets with them to prepare them

for the arrival of the pupil. x EAL TA selects a pupil or teacher interpreter available and meets with them to prepare them for

the arrival of the new pupil.

Pupils Start Date x Pupil is welcomed by EAL TA and class buddies and taken to their class. x Class buddies help pupil to become familiar with school building, routines and essential language. x EAL TA to “drop-in” to the class during the day to check on pupil x Teacher / pupil Interpreter meets with pupil at the end of the school day to find out how the day

went and if they have any questions.

Following Weeks Week 1 – 2 x Class teachers differentiate work for pupils, linked to class learning objectives, at appropriate level. x Pupil is placed in middle sets or above, unless known to have SEN, to ensure access to good role-

models of spoken English. x EAL TA’s maintain regular contact with parents and child during the settling in period. Week 3 Onwards x Class teacher to use the initial assessment proforma to gather assessment information on the pupil. x EAL TA to assess pupil using the Language in Common assessment. Baseline levels are shared with

class teacher and recorded. x Pupil to be assessed using the Benchmark for reading by class TA x Pupil to be assessed by Reading Manager for RWI if applicable. x EAL TA to feedback information to monthly EAL meeting where further intervention will be

discussed and planned accordingly.

EAL Class Requirements

Page 1 of 1

Environment Preparation • Pupils desk ready and in place. • Coat peg labeled • Books labeled • “Welcome” in pupils home language is printed and displayed on classroom wall. • EAL resources are in class and easily accessible.

Class Preparation • Other children are informed of the new pupil and when they are arriving • Class teacher teaches pupils how to say hello in new pupil’s language. • Two class buddies are selected and EAL TA meets with them to prepare them for the pupils’ arrival.

Teacher Preparation • Teacher reads relevant information on the pupil gathered from the admissions meeting. • Teacher to read through the checklist for class teachers for planning lessons. • Teacher ensures that the new pupils’ arrival and any relevant information is shared with other

staff in the phase.



Preparing for the Arrival of a New Pupil

Introducing the Pupil to the Classroom x Sit the pupil near to the front of the class to facilitate frequent eye contact with the

teacher. x Make opportunities for the pupil to become practically involved in the classroom,

with a partner at first, for example, giving out books. x Allow the pupil to remain silent initially. This is not a passive stage. During this stage

the pupil will be watching, actively listening and tuning in and developing new meanings. Keep talking to the pupil and picking up on non-verbal responses.



Preparing for the Arrival of a New Pupil

EAL TA Preparation x Feedback information gathered from Admissions Interview to class teacher. x Provide Class teacher with a box of relevant resources to support induction. x Meet with the selected class buddies to prepare them for the arrival of the new

pupil.

Environment Preparation x Pupils desk ready and in place. x Coat peg labeled x Books labeled x “Welcome” in pupils home language is printed and displayed on classroom wall. x EAL resources are in class and easily accessible.

Class Preparation x Other children are informed of the new pupil and when they are arriving x Class teacher teaches pupils how to say hello in new pupil’s language. x Two class buddies are selected and EAL TA meets with them to prepare them for the

pupils’ arrival.

Teacher Preparation x Teacher reads relevant information on the pupil gathered from the admissions

meeting. x Teacher to read through the checklist for class teachers for planning lessons. x Teacher ensures that the new pupils’ arrival and any relevant information is shared

with other staff in the phase.



Supporting New pupils

Accessing the Classroom x Sit the pupil near to the front of the class to facilitate frequent eye contact with the

teacher. x Make opportunities for the pupil to become practically involved in the classroom,

with a partner at first, for example, giving out books. x Allow the pupil to remain silent initially. This is not a passive stage. During this stage

the pupil will be watching, actively listening and tuning in and developing new meanings. Keep talking to the pupil and picking up on non-verbal responses.

x Provide opportunities for the class buddies to undertake regular “learning walks” around the school to learn basic routines and vocabulary.

Accessing the Curriculum x Ensure the pupil is placed with good language and behaviour role models from the

outset x Wherever possible in the curriculum or at other times in the school day, provide

opportunities to explore linguistic and cultural diversity, e.g. answering the register in different languages, sharing and displaying photos, celebrating festivals.

x Support learners with a clear structured daily routine, supported by a visual timetable.

x Use clear visual cues and body language to support understanding of instructions and tasks.

x With younger children use lots of action songs with repeated refrains. x Give pupils opportunities, where possible, to use the home language to access

learning. x Use simple but natural English and reinforce class instructions on an individual basis.



Planning for Pupils with EAL A new pupil in the early stages of learning English will need differentiated work on the same topic as the rest of the class but at their language level. A beginner will need as much visual support as possible. He / she should be given a vocabulary book and helped to put key words from each lesson in it. Pupils who are literate in their first language should be encouraged to use a dictionary.

The new arrival may already have acquired the relevant skills and concepts of a subject; they just need the words to express them in the new language. A learner of English is capable of tackling work that is cognitively demanding if the task is designed to provide them with the words they need. Pupils who have English as an Additional Language learn alongside fluent users of English who are good language models. It is therefore important for a new arrival to be placed in the middle or top sets. EAL pupils can cope in high sets if lessons allow for differentiation of response and the teacher has realistic expectations of what can be achieved at different stages of the language learning process. Teachers should use the Planning Checklist when planning lessons.



Assessing Pupils with EAL An assessment of a newly arrived pupil with English as an Additional Language should not take place until they have been in the school for at least 3 weeks. When assessing a pupil with EAL it is important to remember that test scores do not reflect the full potential of a pupil. Test results should not be used as the main criterion for assessment or for placing the pupil in a teaching group. Initial assessments of a pupil with EAL are most effective when they take place over a few weeks through a variety of engaging learning and teaching activities. The class teacher will use the Initial Assessment for pupils with EAL document to record initial observations. The EAL TA’s will assess the newly –arrived pupil after 3 weeks using the Havering EAL Progress Continuum. This assessment will give a baseline assessment level which will be shared with the class teacher.



Further Information

Newly arrived pupils usually settle into school quite happily and cope well with the task of learning a new language. However, normal, happy and confident pupils can become frustrated or angry in situations where they cannot make themselves understood. Sometimes their frustration and deep unhappiness may lead o difficult classroom behaviour and a few children become aggressive and disruptive, constantly restless, tearful or very withdrawn. It is important to remember that this behaviour may be caused by what the child is experiencing and not necessarily indicative of their usual behaviour. After being competent language users in their home country children suddenly find themselves not understanding simple tasks and instructions. Listening to and trying to concentrate on a new language is very tiring. A pupil may be missing friends and relatives that they have left behind. The new school maybe very different from any they have experienced before and they may be expected to behave and learn in totally new ways. It is vital that the new pupil feels accepted and is given many opportunities to be successful.

Appendices

EAL Admission Interview

Page 1 of 3

Personal Details

Full name:_______________________________________ (underline family name) Personal name:_____________________ Preferred name:_____________________ Date of birth _______________________ Place of birth_______________________ Arrival in UK (if applicable)__________________ Ethnicity __________________ Religion ______________

Family Details

Relationship of carer(s) to the pupil: Names of siblings: Age: Gender:

Who lives in the family home:

Previous Education

Country School Date (from –to)

Age (from –to)

Languages of instruction


Page 2 of 3

Languages & Community Links

Language(s) spoken at home: Child to father_________________ Father to child__________________ Child to mother ________________ Mother to child__________________ Child to siblings________________ Siblings to child_________________ Language proficiency: (including English) Languages Speaking Listening Reading Writing

Other Information

Favourite activities at school/nursery

Interests and hobbies

Prior experience that may affect learning


Page 3 of 3

Dietary Needs

Favourite foods

Dietary restrictions

Known medical conditions/learning needs

Parent Support

What is the most useful language for written communication?

Any further information:

Date completed________________________________________ Completed by__________________________________________

Initial Assessment for Pupils with EAL

Pupil's name: Date of birth: Year group: Languages spoken: Religion: Class teacher: NC Step/Level: Speaking Listening Reading Writing Speaking and listening What the pupil can do (e.g. points to objects, What the pupil needs to develop (e.g. ability to give one- follows simple instructions, names colours, etc.) word responses, ability to form 2/3 word phrases, knowledge of names of objects in classroom, etc.) Reading What the pupil can do (e.g. knows letter names, What the pupil needs to develop (e.g.ability to distinguish knows 20 of the initial letter sounds, decodes cvc words/ between short vowels, knowledge of phonics, ability to blend, use decodes blends, etc.) of context to work out the meaning of new words, etc.) Writing What the pupil can do (e.g. can write 10-20 high What the pupil needs to develop (e.g. spellings of frequency words, sometimes applies verb endings, etc.) vowel digraphs, segmenting sounds, knowledge of simple sentence structure, use of adjectives, use of past tense, etc.) Maths What the pupil can do (e.g. applies 4 rules of What the pupil needs to develop (e.g. knowledge of number well, can name all 3D shapes in 1st language, vocabulary of basic maths functions, ability to complete oral etc.) mental maths tasks, etc.) First language writing sample Ability to write fluently Evidence of proof-reading/editing Character/letter formation (e.g. consistency of size etc.) Use of punctuation (if applicable) Ability to re-read own work

Initial Assessment for Pupils with EAL

Please Attach Writing Sample

Planning Checklist

EAL Checklist The following checklist contains examples of good practice to help you review individual lesson plans in terms of their linguistic inclusivity. It will also help you prepare for inspections by identifying the strategies you have in place and how these are beneficial for EAL learners.

Planning Lessons ! Comments Provide enhanced opportunities for speaking and listening in lessons.

Provide effective models of spoken language (teacher, pupils, videos, audio cassettes).

Provide effective models of written language (teacher demonstrations, shared text writing, use of quality texts, good quality pupil examples).

Encourage pupils to use their first language (e.g. through use of dual-language dictionaries or by recommending that pupils complete homework tasks in their home language first).

Use good quality visual aids (pictures, maps, charts, videos) and diagrammatic representations of abstract concepts (e.g. the use of visual models in Science).

Teach subject-specific language, writing key words on the board and/or displaying them and providing opportunities for pupils to use them orally in context.

Use supportive grouping of EAL pupils allowing them to hear good models of spoken English.

Where appropriate, identify reading/writing support strategies (at a whole-class, group or individual level) that impact on the learning of pupils with EAL, including more advanced learners (e.g. pre-teaching key vocabulary, providing word lists, providing writing-frames etc.).

Take into account a range of different learning styles (audio visual, observation, practice, discussion, explanation, reading etc.).

Provide opportunities for pupils to demonstrate understanding using a range of assessment methods, including non-verbal methods (whiteboards, show of hands, number fans etc.).

Documents

Admissions, Induction and Support Guidance for Pupils with ... Admission and Induc… · EAL Admission & Induction Guidance The booklet is based on guidance from the Havering EMA