Supporting Thai, Turkish & Turkish Cypriot Pupils at

Key Stages 1 to 4

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EMTAS Thai/Turkish Pupil Project 2010/11

Key Findings and Recommendations

Table of Contents Page

o Who should read this report? 2

o Introduction and Rationale 2

o Key Findings 4

o Key Recommendations 6

o Learners’ Progress Trends over the three Project Terms 16

o Getting to know the pupils: Secondary Pupil Voice 17

o Case Studies:

participating primary school 19

participating secondary school 20

o Instead of a Conclusion: Strategies to support access to the curriculum 21

for all learners, including those learning EAL

o EAL Web Resource List Focus: More advanced learners of EAL 22

o Appendices

Overview of schools’ project data 23

Essex Stages of English Language Acquisition 27

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EMTAS Thai/Turkish Project 2010/11

Key Findings and Recommendations

Who should read this report? Ethnic diversity in Essex schools has increased significantly in recent years, also leading to a steady increase in learners of EAL in all phases of education and across all four of the county’s quadrants. With close to 12% of learners now showing EAL need, the following report makes recommendations for all schools aiming to develop good practice around learners of EAL. Although based on a year-long project around pupils of Thai and Turkish/Turkish-Cypriot heritages, the key findings documented below apply to all pupils for whom English is an additional language, and especially to those who are now at a more advanced stage of English language acquisition.

Introduction and Rationale Although most teachers will be acutely aware of any beginner learners of English in their class or group, many educational professionals have expressed the view that these pupils will not usually require any further support once they have learned to speak English fluently. It is usually at the end of a major key stage – say, towards the end of Year 6 or Year 11 – that concerns arise once again. However fluent their spoken English, many learners of EAL are now seen to fall behind in their academic work, not infrequently leading to underachievement and reduced options at age 14-19. How can teachers and senior leaders prevent scenarios of this kind? It is known that, once pupils have become ‘more advanced learners of EAL’, the fluency of their English conversation may often mask the linguistic needs that are still present. Unless these needs are recognised, acknowledged and addressed by all relevant professionals, pupils may be significantly hampered in reaching their full educational potential. The following recommendations are based on the results and findings from a one-year project in Essex schools, conducted by ECC’s Ethnic Minority Achievement and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) to raise the achievement of pupils from underachieving ethnic groups. The project focused on building sustainable provision for more advanced learners of EAL, focusing on pupils of Thai and Turkish/Turkish-Cypriot heritages. Within ECC’s annual analysis of pupil attainment against county expectations, these groups showed the lowest overall achievement levels.

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What did the project entail? EMTAS assigned additional funding to schools for the support of identified individuals from Thai and Turkish backgrounds at Key Stages 1-3, whose latest EAL assessment showed them to be between Level 1 Secure and Stage 3 of English language acquisition, as assessed by schools using the Essex English Language Acquisition Stages. The one-year project involved 118 primary and 22 secondary schools across all Essex quadrants. Each primary school received funds equating to two additional TA hours per pupil per week; secondary schools received funding for three additional TA hours across the 2010/11 academic year. The project aimed to raise the attainment of identified target pupils while also disseminating good practice around the growing numbers of EAL learners who are now joining local schools. It is hoped that learners of EAL will continue to make valuable contributions and to enrich not only school life, but also the life of the county as a whole.

All participating schools were offered briefing sessions at the start of the project, and a debrief session following completion of the project. For quadrants with a particularly high response rate, a mid-project briefing also took place. Ongoing EMTAS support was offered to participating schools during the project by three EMTAS Consultants supporting secondary schools and two EMTAS Advisers working cross-phase. EMTAS also requested termly returns from each participating school documenting individual schools’ use of the additional funding. Teacher voice was elicited informally throughout the project. Pupil voice was formally captured as the project came to a close in July 2011. We asked pupils in this project to tell us their thoughts. Some of their answers are shared throughout this document, together with the voices of teachers, senior leaders and, in some cases, EMTAS team members involved in the project. The recommendations in this report pertain to EMTAS’ evaluation of pupil outcomes in each school, together with formal and informal feedback from schools on how the additional funding was utilised. The recommendations in this report aim to reflect ways in which the project enabled both primary and secondary pupils to raise target pupils’ attainment across a range of subject areas.

“If you really want to know what the water is like,

you should ask the fish!”

(Japanese proverb)

Q: Why worry about the achievement of EAL learners who are already fluent speakers of English? A: Although the EAL needs of pupils new to English are often highly visible, the core work of English-language acquisition does not begin until students have mastered basic conversational and other interpersonal transactions in English. However, the needs of more advanced learners of EAL can be less easy for practitioners to identify, since pupils have often become superficially fluent conversationalists by this time in their lives. However, where an advanced EAL learner’s needs are not identified and acted upon, underachievement is known to result in many cases.

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Key Findings The project was found to have had positive impact in the following areas. Positive Impact

o Increased teacher focus on the needs of target pupils/more advanced learners of EAL

o Improved learner attendance o Improved learner confidence and learner independence

o Improvement in good EAL support practice across a number of schools, e.g.

Improved pupil tracking procedures improved diagnostic understanding of EAL needs, resulting in …

• increased promotion of equality of access to the curriculum • increased 1:1 support where appropriate, e.g., Mentoring of

pupils who are more advanced learners of EAL • strategies for scaffolding reading comprehension for learners of

EAL • strategies for scaffolding writing skills for learners of EAL • improved knowledge in carrying out EAL assessment and in

using the Essex EAL Stages/QCDA A Language in Common

o Improved awareness of EAL pupils’ needs pertaining to the curriculum, e.g. Higher levels of awareness of the process of English language

acquisition among senior leaders/teachers/other adults in schools Increased teacher/TA focus on learners of EAL e.g. when planning

and delivering lessons Increased focus on extension of learner vocabulary as relevant to the

curriculum Increased focus on oracy when working to develop and improve

English language skills

o Use of project funding to make improvements that benefited both the target learners and others, including groups, clubs and extracurricular opportunities/social events

o Increased awareness of potential isolation among Thai/Turkish learners,

resulting in e.g. inter-school links (e.g. social activities for TTPP pupils from several different schools,

Ongoing concerns The following areas were found to require further EMTAS support work in the future.

o Further need for embedding admission procedures, including e.g. a formal induction meeting with new pupils and their parents, prior to the pupil starting lessons at the school

o Further need for embedding procedures for information sharing by staff

around individual learners of EAL

o

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o Developing teacher awareness of the importance of oracy for pupils’ English

language acquisition and English language development

o Helping schools to ensure that EAL support is teacher planned, then shared with TAs as appropriate

o Supporting and developing schools’ use of EAL-focused audit tools around

all learners of EAL

o Supporting schools in linking Essex EAL Stages To National Curriculum Levels when assessing more advanced learners of EAL

o Further need to promote positive views about the presence of EAL learners

and EAL families, as part of home-school liaison

o Further supporting schools in developing awareness of the distinctions between EAL and SEN, and on optimal provision where there is overlap between both.

Acquiring English as an Additional Language – ‘early stage’ to more advanced learner of EAL Average timescale: 5-7 years for children, often slightly less for teenagers, 5-10 years for adults.

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Key Recommendations The following recommendations reflect both primary and secondary schools’ feedback during the Thai/Turkish project. Although the full complexity of EAL learners’ achievement issues would be beyond the scope of this report, it is hoped that these pointers will be helpful to teachers working with more advanced learners of EAL, and especially those from Thai, Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot backgrounds. Pupil Admission 1 Recommendation: Admission procedures should entail a formal induction meeting prior to each learner joining the school. Feedback from schools: Formal meetings of this kind proved helpful in enabling new EAL pupils to settle into school. The meetings also helped parents to develop an understanding of the English education system and to begin to become participants in their children’s education. A number of schools reported a need for this procedure to become more firmly embedded as part of home-school liaison. How well do we know our pupils? Information Gathering and Sharing 2 Recommendation: Information Gathering. In order to ensure optimal academic outcomes for individuals, schools should ensure to capture and collect individual background information on each pupil. This information should then be shared among all relevant staff. A pre-formatted BME Pupil Profile Form is available from EMTAS to guide this process. Good practice reported by schools: The project became an incentive for many participating schools to gather more detailed individual information including, for example, pupils’ arrival dates in the UK, details of languages spoken in the home and countries lived in other than the UK. Note: Not only do these data have an impact on pupil learning, but the information gathering process also serves to identify areas of individual strength and scope for making informed contributions to specific curriculum areas/other activities in school.

Equality of Opportunity 3 Recommendation: Ensuring equality of access to all areas of the curriculum. This is especially important when making provision for more advanced learners of EAL. For example, a Maths or Science lesson may contain complex linguistic requirements that are often difficult to access for learners of EAL. Feedback from schools: EAL support frequently focused on English/Literacy, Science, Maths, Humanities and RE. Although advanced learners of EAL, TTPP target pupils frequently had insufficient command of subject specific vocabulary, best practice reported by schools has included the following.

Where do you think of as home – Thailand/Turkey/Cyprus or England?

It depends. In Thailand I feel like I’m at home and then when I come back to England I’m English again.

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o Target setting, e.g.

Develop ability to self-assess Learn to ask questions independently Develop oracy to participate in class

o Use of pre-teaching to give EAL learners a head start re key vocabulary/key concepts/key processes for specific lessons

o Focused activities to develop the English language skills needed for specific Maths tasks, for example

Naming maths symbols/identifying shapes Naming and completing calculations

o Regular extension of designated EAL TA support across e.g. English, Science, Maths.

Overall, the project enabled a stronger focus on meeting the EAL needs of the target pupils and of advanced EAL learners, thus enabling pupils to benefit from an increased EAL focus in the planning, structuring and resourcing of a range of lessons. 4 Recommendation: Vocabulary extension. Although access to learning involves a range of language skills over and above the knowledge of words, schools should ensure that pupils have command of key words which can then become their ‘start-up capital’ for fuller access to the curriculum. Good practice reported by schools included the use of peer talk. Peer and/or adult modelling of unfamiliar words and their usage was also practised in the context of specific curriculum areas.

Good practice reported in schools: Recognising the EAL needs of more advanced learners, a number of schools focused on extending the target pupils’ command of subject specific language, mainly in the secondary sector. As a first step towards this gaol, Key Vocabulary Lists were developed to support and enhance English language acquisition for identified academic purposes within particular subject areas. Good practice reported by schools: Some schools emphasised the promotion of listening skills to improve pupils’ ability to engage with discussion in class and to improve clarity of verbal expression in English. There was particular emphasis on pupils developing

The pupil is now showing steady progress in numeracy. (teacher, primary)

The pupil has shown marked improvement in all areas since the start of TTPP. She is now more confident. Her spoken English is more precise and she will actively engage in class without being asked beforehand. The pupil is more focused and will now ask question in class, speaking very clearly as she does so. (teacher, secondary)

We can now give these children additional support in core learning skills – especially in Science.’ (teacher, primary)

The project has provided extra TA time to work on specific English language targets in Literacy and Maths.’ (teacher, primary)

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the ability to ask questions and to improve their command of descriptive language in English. Equality of Access to the Curriculum 5 Recommendation: EAL Inclusion or EAL Support? Since all language is designed to serve communication, it is usually best for learners of EAL to work collaboratively with peers who can provide good models of English usage. Observations in schools: By contrast to some early stage learners of EAL, the best quality of learning for more advanced EAL student is usually provided through in-class inclusion. In-class situations provide linguistic stimuli at a range of different levels, e.g. through speech, discussion, peer collaboration and displays. By contrast, both staff and pupils may feel uncomfortable where in-school support involves the withdrawal of more advanced learners of EAL. Good practice reported by schools: Improved outcomes were achieved where schools used TTPP funding to set up e.g. Literacy Clubs (primary), Lunchtime Listening Group (secondary) and similar ongoing activities where advanced learners of EAL could focus on English language skills together with peers including native speakers of English. Schools’ feedback indicated that these activities had also helped native English speakers to develop their English language skills across all primary and secondary key stages. 6 Recommendation: Setting of EAL pupils by academic ability only. Feedback from schools: Some progress has been made towards ensuring that target pupils are less likely to be placed inappropriately in lower ability sets, e.g. in the secondary sector. Where schools have been effective in appropriate setting, the progress made by the pupils has been consistent with a reduced likelihood of poor/inappropriate behaviour.

‘The kids are getting so much out of Literacy Club funded by the project. The target pupils are working with English-only children, and it’s been good for their relationships, as well as their learning.’ (SENCO, primary)

Why do you take us out? We are English now!

Staff queried pupils’ need to miss lessons in order to receive EAL support. (senior leader, secondary)

Parents did not want their children to be singled out; their embarrassment rubbed off on the children. (senior leader, secondary)

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7 Recommendation: Enable teachers to share their planning with TAs. Where teachers regularly share their planning with TAs, the quality of teaching and learning improves for all learners, and specially for pupils learning EAL. Good practice reported by schools: Some participating schools established short but regular liaison times for teachers and TAs, enabling TAs to prepare targeted EAL scaffolding for a Unit of Work.

Further feedback from schools: In some schools, teacher-led planning for learners of EAL will need to be further developed and embedded. 8 Recommendation: To develop English language skills, focus on Oracy. Each lesson should include a time for planned peer discussion in small groups, about lesson content. Teachers should provide structure for this discussion, e.g. by giving 1-2 focus questions and some key vocabulary. Whole-class brainstorming should take place after peer discussion, and should never be used to replace peer discussion. Good practice reported by schools: Participating schools provided group activities to increase curriculum access through speaking and listening. Schools reported a marked increase in learner confidence and independence from these activities. Confidence to speak – feedback from schools: A significant proportion of schools reported that TTPP target pupils would speak to peers or to adults 1:1, but would rarely, if ever, speak up in class. Also, these advanced learners of EAL tended not to ask for help when they could not understand instructions/texts/procedures during lessons. Further observations in schools: With a number of target pupils above Key Stage 1, there was a need for staff to become fully aware of the benefits of planned, structured peer talk during lessons, e.g. including the use of Talk for Writing and Talk Partners. Many schools reported a strong focus on reading/writing skills with little emphasis on speaking and listening. (For example, progress ratings for Speaking/Listening were received for only 29% of TTPP pupils, compared to 58% for Reading and 68% for Writing.) It is known, however, that spoken language forms the basis for the development of all language skills, including complex academic language. Equality of opportunity thus requires the inclusion of planned, focused and structured speaking/listening activities across all curriculum areas in both primary and secondary schools.

I can tell my teachers off when they make a mistake in their grammar.

The pupil is keen to add to discussion verbally and makes sensible, informed contributions. (teacher, primary)

How has the project helped you?

I’m more confident in lessons, I can talk better.

Throughout the year, I have seen a steady improvement in confidence and a readiness to engage with other children. (teacher, primary)

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9 Recommendation: Be aware that it typically takes 5-7 years for pupils to become fully bilingual. Advanced bilingual learners may not see English as their main language, and this will have implications for their learning. Feedback from schools: see speech bubbles below.

Thai. I’m only speaking English one year and I speak in Thai thirteen years!

Which do you see as your first

language, English or Thai/Turkish?

Thai. English is too hard for me

The project had funded additional tuition. As a result, the pupil is gaining an understanding of English-language usage as appropriate to different situations, and is also becoming more comfortable discussing cultural difference. (teacher, secondary)

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More about English Language Skills – Reading and Writing

10 Recommendations: Improving Reading Skills It is often difficult for advanced learners of EAL to develop comprehension skills when reading texts in English. Although pupils may develop basic English proficiency within weeks of arriving in the UK, the complex language skills needed e.g. to pass tests or comprehend exam papers require ongoing scaffolding in order to develop. In order to make texts accessible, scaffolding strategies are needed. These could include

Planned peer discussion of the text, e.g. in pairs (to be followed, but never replaced, by whole class discussion)

Differentiated comprehension questions devised by an adult to structure this discussion

Group reading strategies; pupils asking each other questions about the text Where appropriate, the provision of a version of the text that is written in

more accessible English

pupils i

s now much more

Quick Tip – Planned Peer Discussion Give a question to the class or group. Split the group into groups of two or three pupils each. Instruct the pupils as follows. For the next three minutes, each small group must discuss the question. Pupils are not allowed to ask for adult help, or to remain silent. Tell pupils that you will be timing their discussion, and be seen to look at your watch until the three minutes are up. Now invite pupils to share what they have discussed. Notes: This strategy usually generates increased participation from all pupils once it has become established and embedded as a routine used in all, or nearly all, lessons. Beginner learners of EAL should be placed in a group of three, and may need to be exempted from the ‘must speak’ rule as their English language skills are only just emerging. However, this exemption should not be applied to more advanced learners of EAL.

The target pupil has increased her reading age by six months so far, during this project. (teacher, primary)

The pupil is now much more confident with his reading. His listening skills have improved, and he can follow instructions better. (teacher, primary)

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Feedback from schools: Schools recognised that, although EAL learners were often quick in learning to decode text, their ability to comprehend what they were reading often remained limited for several years. However, due to pupils’ surface fluency when reading aloud, this issue had frequently remained undetected. Some schools used group reading to help target pupils improve. 11 Recommendations: Improving Writing Skills Written work demands particularly high levels of abstraction; this is true especially for those learning to write in an additional language. It is essential that scaffolding strategies be used, e.g.

Pre-task peer discussion, planned and structured by the teacher or TA Sentence starters/writing frames Use of pictorial stimuli for writing, as appropriate to age/lesson content Storyboard/age appropriate illustrations

It is recommended that pupils’ expressive skills be emphasised when supporting writing tasks; grammar, punctuation and syntax should be regarded as part of the context of the tasks and should not be overemphasised where pupils are still struggling with writing in English. Feedback from schools: Schools recognised that EAL learners’ writing skills were often slow to develop. When attempting to write at length, target pupils showed frequent errors of grammar and were often unsure of e.g. verb tenses, sentence structure/word order and/or turn of phrase. It is known that, for learners of EAL, writing skills are best supported by the use of strategies including those listed above. In particular, planned, structured peer discussion should always precede writing tasks. 12 Recommendations: mentoring. Advanced learners of EAL will often benefit from mentoring opportunities to reflect on their progress and to voice and identify their own educational needs. Feedback from schools: In some schools, the use of TTPP funding included mentoring/monitoring sessions for individuals. This enabled pupils to reflect on their strengths and needs, and also enabled individuals to talk about any difficulties they experienced in school and to ask for support and/or seek solutions. Mentoring enhanced learner independence through promoting and enabling pupils’ independent awareness of their own gaps within the curriculum. Community Cohesion 13 Recommendation: Value BME pupils’ home cultures/languages/faiths

How has the project helped you? I am better at reading in

English. I can read the words better.

The pupil is becoming more independent, and I have been impressed with the academic ability which is now coming through. (teacher, secondary)

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BME pupils and their families are often able to make unique contributions in school, leading to the enrichment, in cultural and/or academic terms, of the entire learning community. Good practice reported by schools: Impact of Home-School Liaison Where schools placed a value on getting to know pupil backgrounds in detail, the resulting improvement in home-school liaison could then not only benefit individual pupils but could also give the parents/carers an active role in enriching the curriculum. Examples are shown in these speech bubbles: Conversely, where schools’ comments on home cultures were not positive, some families would not permit the inclusion of their children in this project. EMTAS continues working to promote positive views about EAL learners and their parents. 14 Recommendation: Develop and maintain inter-School activities to link target pupils and to help end learner isolation. Good practice observed in schools: A number of schools used funding to create extracurricular opportunities linking TTPP target pupils; this enabled learners to meet peers sharing their first language. All schools were aiming to maintain these links after the end of the project itself, especially as it was clear that the activities were both valued and enjoyed by the pupils. Extracurricular events included a bowling event, a barbecue and a theatre visit. Attendance 15 Recommendation: Higher attendance may result from ongoing scaffolding and EAL support in school. Good practice reported by schools reflects this trend:

‘The pupil is a valued member of the school. … I value and respect his home language and culture, building on his experiences and knowledge. It is evident from his responses and attitude that he feels free to have a go without fear of failure in the school environment. (teacher, primary)

We regularly invite parents into our RE lessons as guest speakers, to talk about their own faith to the children. Older pupils also get to ask questions. The children get a much better understanding in this way, and, as an adult, I find these lessons fascinating. (teacher, primary)

With extra TA time, the target pupil’s attendance is now even better. (teacher, secondary)

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Assessment 16 Recommendation: Ensure the ongoing assessment of the needs of each learner of EAL. Identify specific factors which may help or hinder individual achievement. Good practice reported by schools: In many schools (in particular, many participating secondaries), TTPP funding enabled detailed assessment processes for the target pupils leading to a more accurate identification of strengths and weaknesses, which could then be shared among relevant staff, thus leading to fully personalised provision. Schools’ initial assessments also covered e.g. additional needs and levels of parental involvement. Start-of-project assessment results were used as benchmarks for progress. Schools were encouraged to share these data with pupils and to agree on focus areas for support throughout TTPP. Most secondary schools in Essex carried out thorough initial assessments of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, for example, additional needs and level of parental involvement.

17 Recommendation: Assign individual EAL Stages and ensure regular updates. Share this information with all relevant staff to enable personalised planning and provision. Ensure that EAL Stages are moderated to correspond with pupil achievement in core and foundation subjects. Observations in schools: Most primary and secondary schools in Essex carried out thorough initial assessments of pupils’ strengths and weaknesses, for example, additional needs and level of parental involvement. In a significant proportion of participating schools, EAL stages appeared not to correspond to the target pupil’s National Curriculum levels in core/foundation subjects, thus potentially making it harder for teachers and TAs to deliver appropriate provision across the curriculum. More development work will be needed in this area. 18 Recommendation: Track the achievement of EAL learners across a number of curriculum areas. Good practice observed in schools: In a significant number of participating secondaries, data sharing between different subject areas enabled improved diagnostic understanding of individual EAL need, resulting in improved strategies for the assessment, integration and progression of target pupils. 19 Recommendation: Develop staff awareness of the distinctions between EAL and SEN.

Initially the pupil appeared confident but with time he felt able to confide his difficulties with particular aspects of English, such as phonics, where the school then built in focused support. (teacher, secondary)

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Feedback from schools: A number of SENCOs felt that further guidance was needed for schools in identifying EAL versus SEN, and in implementing appropriate EAL provision for individual target pupils. 20 Recommendation: Ensure the identification of SEN where present alongside EAL needs. A small proportion of EAL learners also have SEN; both areas will need to be addressed to prevent and eliminate underachievement. Feedback from schools: Where schools used funding to enable more detailed assessment processes, a previously unacknowledged EAL/SEN overlap was identified in some pupils. Inclusion managers said that they had not previously investigated the needs of these learners as it was assumed that pupils’ EAL needs had caused them to progress slowly. Note: Given the correct scaffolding across subject areas, more advanced learners of EAL often progress faster than their monolingual peers once full bilingualism has been achieved. This process typically takes 5-7 years, during which time appropriate scaffolding is essential to facilitate the language learning process. Further observations in schools: Following on from the initial assessments, some overall trends emerged, although the rates of progress reported for individual pupils showed great variation between individuals. Although it is not always possible to say with certainty whether progress was due exclusively to TTPP, all progress reports showed increased pupil confidence and documented progress in at least one curriculum area for each pupil involved in the project. Auditing Good Practice 21 Recommendation: Audit EAL practice at regular intervals, taking a whole school approach. Feedback from schools: The project enabled a number of schools to improve the progressive integration of EAL learners by auditing current EAL provision in all areas of school life. Audit formats, guidance and advice are available from EMTAS on request.

The highest pupil progress differentials were achieved in schools that were in the habit of keeping up an ongoing dialogue with LA consultants regarding support for learners of EAL. (EMTAS team member)

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Learners’ Progress Trends over the three Project Terms Each of the individuals selected for project had shown EAL acquisition stages between Level 1 Secure and Stage 3 in July 2010. They could therefore be classified as ‘More Advanced Learners of EAL’.

Primary Schools Response Rate for individual National Curriculum Levels: 68% of participating schools = 85 pupils

English Language Skill Progress trends over three terms

Speaking/Listening 1-3 sublevels Reading 1-2 sublevels Writing 2-3 sublevels

(Note – not all of the above schools returned a full set of attainment data)

Secondary Schools Response Rate for individual National Curriculum Levels: 76% of participating schools = 23 pupils Key Stage 3

English Language Skill Progress trends over three terms Speaking/Listening 2-5 sublevels Reading 2-5 sublevels Writing 2-5 sublevels

Key Stage 4

GCSE Predicted Results, range of subjects

Improvement by 1-2 grades, e.g. C to B, D to C, G to F D to B

(Note – not all of the above schools returned a full set of attainment data)

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Getting to know the pupils: Secondary Pupil Voice

Turkish/Cypriot/ Kurdish Pupils’ Views ( 6 pupils)

Shared Experiences (17 pupils in total)

Thai Pupils’ Views (11 pupils)

Background All but 1 of the Turkish

heritage pupils were born in UK (1 born in Australia). Of the sample, half of the pupils were born in London and then moved to Essex. All of the sample have been educated only in English schools.

All pupils started at their secondary schools in the September of year 7 and have attended only one secondary school.

All but 1 of the Thai pupils were born in Thailand. Of the sample, 10 pupils moved to the UK during KS2. All but 1 of the sample received initial education in Thailand before starting at an English school.

Parents & Families

3 pupils had both parents born in Turkey /Cyprus and the others had 1 parent born there.

Links to the wider family are strong with regular emails and visits to relatives.

All of the pupils have a Thai mother who married an English stepfather. Many of them did not live with their mother in Thailand as she worked in Bangkok. The pupils were from different provinces. Many pupils commented on how lonely they feel here as they were brought up with cousins, aunts and grandparents around them.

Home The majority of Turkish heritage pupils consider UK to be their home.

The majority of Thai pupils consider Thailand to be their home.

Languages spoken

Fluent Turkish was not spoken in any home. A mix of English and Turkish is more common. 1 pupil thinks of Turkish as their First Language. 5 pupils can read and write a little in Turkish.

Most commented on the importance of maintaining cultural links. With younger siblings (all of whom were born here) all pupils had to speak English. With older siblings L1 is spoken.

Thai is spoken commonly at home (many mothers know little English). English is spoken only to stepfathers and younger siblings. 5 pupils think of Thai as their First Language. All but 1 pupil (born in UK) could read & write in Thai although skills may be fading.

Educational aspirations

Professional ambitions named by 3 pupils –barrister, dermatologist & nurse.

All wanted to attend HE. Common comment that education had to be completed in the UK and English mastered as that is what their mothers had worked for. Vocational ambitions named – hairdresser, beautician & woodwork. Half of the sample would like to return to Thailand after completing their education.

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Attitude to school

Most valued their education, even when it was not being enjoyed or it was difficult.

Language difficulties (understanding teachers) impacted on the learning of many of this sample. Negative behaviour of other pupils was commented on as a barrier to learning by 4 pupils.

The project Curriculum support was identified as a priority. 1 pupil reflected that the targeted Maths support had made him feel more confident about all learning.

Less than half of the sample and their parents knew anything about the project. Where parents and pupils were consulted, targeted support was valued. 4 pupils from both samples felt they had received no extra help previously.

Learning more English was seen as a priority by all but 1 pupil. 1 pupil commented on the unreliability of staffing for the extra help and this devalued it. 2 pupils reflected that the support they were receiving this year as part of the project was no different from last year’s support.

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Primary School Case Study: A Turkish pupil in Mid Essex The pupil: Although born in the UK, M was not used to speaking English when she first entered Foundation Stage. Although shy to begin with, M soon began to show high levels of motivation and to develop fluency in spoken English. Her attendance record was excellent throughout. Literate in both her languages, M likes all school subjects. A talented artist, M received her teacher’s Gold Award for art work shortly after the end of the TTPP project. At home, M likes ‘doing her homework and playing literacy games’. She also enjoys reading Turkish children’s books. Home and Language Background: M speaks Turkish with both her parents, and a mixture of English and Turkish with her siblings, who are now above school-leaving age. She often spends holidays with her extended family in Turkey. M’s parents have not so far attended parents’ evenings. Although M’s mother has limited English, she was able to chat to other parents when she came to a coffee morning for EAL parents in school; following on from this, M’s mother now frequently provides home-cooked Turkish food as needed for school events. M’s siblings, one of whom is now at university, have sometimes collected M from school when her parents were unable to do so due to pressures of work. The School: M attends a primary school in west Chelmsford which has average numbers of EAL learners by national standards. M was one of several project pupils in this particular school. Use of the Project Funding: The school was able to employ an additional TA. Support for project pupils focused on 1:1 tuition, which was used mostly to boost Literacy skills. Aims and objectives were defined by an Action Plan, drawn up separately for each project pupil to reflect his/her specific EAL needs. Each Action Plan specified areas of learning, together with success criteria, staffing details and relevant methodology throughout the project year. M’s Action Plan specified the formation of specific letters in handwriting; specific aspects of punctuation; reading of named high-frequency words and learning to recognise 2D and 3D shapes as relevant to current Units of Work. Teaching methods included language games and flash cards; weekly reading sessions also took place. For example, M was asked to re-tell stories in her own words and to talk about the characters in her books. She was encouraged also to go back over her work and to correct her English pronunciation, grammar and punctuation as needed. Since it was felt that M tended to impede her own achievement by rushing into her work in school, her TA aimed to extend her listening skills and her focus at the start of an activity. Relevant language games and concrete referents (e.g. plastic shapes) were used in this connection. Impact: M’s reading and writing skills improved by three sublevels each (1b to 2a) between September 2010 and June 2011. Although her Listening skills will still require further work, the pupil’s reading age increased by 3 years as a result of the additional support enabled by the project. Recognition of shapes and high frequency words each improved significantly (i.e. 0/24 to 9/24 in each case). When M was interviewed by an EMTAS adviser in September 2011, she was able to respond to questions with confidence and in age-appropriate, articulate English without mistakes or hesitation. M had clearly enjoyed her 1:1 activities, especially as she had earned a number of school reward stickers in this way.

Conclusions: M has been appreciative of the extra support set up for her within the project. Although her listening skills are still in need of some support, M’s rate of progress has accelerated as a result of ongoing 1:1 support and of the positive relationship she was able to form with her EAL TA. M now presents as a confident, articulate and highly motivated learner of EAL.

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Secondary School Case Study: A Year 9 Thai pupil in South Essex

The pupil: K was invited by EMTAS to participate in the Thai/Turkish Pupil Project as she was in Year 9 and was assessed at Intermediate Stage 3 by her current school in November 2010. She arrived in the UK in 2006 with almost no English and joined Year 4 at an Essex Primary school. She left Year 6 with NC Stage 3 in English and NC Level 4 in Maths. She was assessed as B in Science. By the start of Year 9, K was assessed at NC Level 3a in English, Maths and Science. She had a very good attendance record, 95.4%, at Autumn 2010. K has been placed on her school’s SEN register at SA+ for moderate learning difficulties. Her targets on her IEP in Autumn 2010 were: to improve literacy skills, improve her attention and concentration in class, and finally to develop her independent learning skills. At the start of the project the lead teacher usefully identified that K was attaining better in practical subjects (NC Levels 4c-5a) than in core subjects and subjects with a higher written element (NC Levels 3c-3a). Her effort in class was rated poorly by many teachers, who felt that her concentration and attention needed to improve significantly. Home and Language Background: K speaks Thai at home with her mother and English with her mother’s partner. She has an older brother of 17 who returned to Thailand last year. K interprets for her mother as necessary. Her mother is unable to attend parents’ evening as she works in the evening. The School: K attends a mixed comprehensive school in the south of Essex. There are very few pupils with EAL and K is the school’s only Thai speaker. K was the only project pupil in this particular school. Use of the Project Funding: On the action plan the school chose to focus the funded intervention on improving K’s literacy skills (reading and spelling), numeracy skills and her concentration/attention in class. The time for this was achieved by withdrawing K from one of her French lessons and in another hour after school. An LSA who knows K well set up a structured literacy programme for her using Successmaker and Toe by Toe. The LSA also carried out pre-teaching of key words for core subjects. K was set regular spelling tests. In Numeracy the emphasis was on K learning her multiplication tables and on discussing key Maths concepts. For the third focus subject staff were asked to support the project by seating K with good role models, breaking tasks into manageable chunks, using open-ended questions to assess K’s understanding, and repeating or simplifying instructions as necessary. Impact: K’s targets for the end of KS3 were: English 4a, Maths 5c and Science GCSE Grade G. At July 20 – Level 4b. Maths and Science levels had were not yet finalised at the time of writing.

• At the start of the project K appeared to be regressing in Reading, after making good progress during Year 7. She had dropped back 6 months between July of Year 7 and January of Year 8. She was still several years below her chronological age in both reading and spelling. However, by March of Yr 9 she had made almost 4 years’ progress in Reading and 3.5 years’ progress in spelling. By July 2011 several subject teachers had noticed progress, as well as increased effort, in spelling.

The school used the ‘Round Robin’ pro-forma (see blank - Appendix A) to gather perceptions from K’s subject teachers in October 2010 and again in June 2011. Several patterns could be seen in what staff had written on the 2 occasions:

• A picture forms of a pupil who back in October needed “constant reminders to stay on task” (ICT) but K had clearly increased her concentration and attention span in Music, Geography, French, Science and Maths. Teacher comments frequently included “more focussed” and “far better concentration”.

• K had made headway in her confidence and ability with following instructions without additional help, as noted by her French, Science and English teachers - a marked improvement on her English teacher’s comments in October (“often confused/no more than 3 minutes before glazing over”).

• K’s Science teacher wrote in October that she would ask for help immediately and then in July commented that “she is able to complete tasks written on a worksheet with little help”.

• In learning skills K progressed from “reluctant to start” to “very motivated and usually the first to finish a task” in Science. Several other teachers noted progress here too.

• K’s Geography teacher had seen an improvement in her behaviour, stating that K was now more focused, more polite and much improved.

• Geography, Science, Maths and French all reported improved command or recall of subject vocabulary. Science also commented that “her graphing skills have improved considerably lately, along with her ability to interpret graphs and patterns in data”; a good example of more confidence with one aspect of numeracy.

Conclusions: K has not always been appreciative of the extra support set up for her within the project but it is clear that it has been well-targeted at her known weaknesses and also that the school has been able to measure her progress over the year, using both teacher perceptions and hard data.

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Instead of a Conclusion: Strategies to support access to the curriculum for all learners, including those learning EAL

Adults in school should … Adults in school should avoid… … … maintain emphasis on planned, structured speaking and listening activities in class. These will enable all learners, including all learners of EAL, to access to the curriculum and to become fully literate in English. … maintain high expectations of all learners, including those learning EAL. … remain aware that academic activity in English frequently entails higher level language skills which will usually require scaffolding. … value pupils’ proficiency in home language; schools should aim actively to support pupils’ development in their first language, especially since this will also facilitate English language acquisition over time. Maintaining the first language will hone pupils’ thinking skills so that bilingualism, once achieved, remains a valuable advantage for life. … maintain scaffolding across the curriculum. Advanced learners of EAL, however fluent in English, frequently require scaffolding across the curriculum in order to achieve their academic potential. … maintain ongoing pupil assessment, including moderation against National Curriculum levels in core (and, where practicable, Foundation) subjects. ...provide planned opportunities for EAL learners to listen repeatedly to instructions/ information without feeling singled out in any way (‘message abundance’) …treat EAL as an asset in the making. Researchers agree that Bilingualism brings cognitive advantages, as well as advantages in the world of work.

… pressure EAL learners to progress too quickly to reading and writing. Literacy for learners of EAL always begins with speaking and listening. … regarding a pupil’s current EAL level as a matching indicator of their conceptual stage of development or of his/her academic ability. … assuming that a pupil who converses fluently in English will therefore be able to pass exams or write essays in English … dismissing pupils’ home language as superfluous to life in the UK. Home language deprivation has been known to have a negative impact on pupil achievement. … assuming that fluent speakers of EAL will always be able fully to comprehend oral or written instructions given in class. … treating EAL assessment as in any way separate from the pupils’ achievement in core curriculum areas and foundation subjects. … giving instructions only once. Learners of EAL may need to hear the same message several times in order to develop full comprehension. … limiting pupils’ opportunities for meaningful, curriculum related peer talk during lessons. … treating EAL as a Special Educational Need.

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EAL Web Resource List Focus: More advanced learners of EAL

Research and guidance on working with learners of EAL www.naldic.org.uk/docs/workshops.doc - EAL Picture Dictionary (primary): www.racingtoenglish.moonfruit.com Interactive dual language resources: www.littlelearner.eu (has Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian) http://www.newburypark.redbridge.sch.uk/langofmonth/index.html Useful phrases in a wide variety of languages: http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/welcome.htm Maths vocabulary in 26 languages: http://www.emaths.co.uk/teachers/index.php/eal.html Teachers’ Materials to scaffold and support a wide range of English language skills: http://www.eal-teaching-strategies.com Research on the needs of more advanced learners of EAL in UK English Schools: www.learninglive.co.uk/.../eal/aspects%20of%20grammar%20difficult%20for%20EAL.doc Teachers’ Materials for supporting EAL families: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/resources/external_resources/2292_bilingual_children Background information about BME/EAL learners: www.intercultures.ca Gifted and Talented Learners of EAL: http://www.realproject.org.uk/ Teacher’s EAL overview and checklist: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/beginners/index.htm

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Appendix - Project Findings – an Overview Although not all participating schools returned data regularly, here are some examples of the trends observed in schools during the Thai/Turkish Pupil Project.

1

TTPP Schools’ Response

10 out of 11participatingschools(12 pupils)

60% of all participating schools(41 pupils)

Schools returning Pro Formas/giving teacher response

Total 11 Secondaries

Total 51 Primaries

Schools funded for TTPP

2

Schools’ Use of TTPP Funding–Cross Phase

In many schools, TTPP Funding was deployed to

benefitThai/Turkish learners and

others.

Primary

Schools

3

TTPP Attainment Trends- English Language Skills (Primaries)

2-3 sublevels over 3 TTPP terms

1-2 sublevels over 3 TTPP terms

1-3 sublevels over 3 TTPP terms(limited data)

WritingReadingSpeaking/Listening

Note: Only one third of responding schoolsshared progress ratings.

5

Focus on Reading

Focus on Writing

Focus on Speaking /Listening

Maths

Vocabulary Extension

Spellings

Science – under 5%

Percentage of individuals from all responding primary schools (approx)

Focus Area – primary pupils(usually more than one focus area)

48%

22%

27%

10%

20%

41%

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7

Schools’ Use of TTPP FundingImpact Perceived by Respondents

Area of Focus(Primaries)

Part of TTPP funding used in this way, noticeable positive impact on pupil outcomes

•Monitoring of pupil learning •T/T Parent recruited to work in school •Release time for class teacher to work with SENCO re target pupil

Benefits for target TTPP pupils and other learners in school, demonstrable impact on outcomes

•Core Learning Skills/Group Reading•Games to extend vocab.•Games to improve speaking/listening skills and peer interaction

Sustainable benefits for target TTPP pupils and other learners in school

•Purchase of dual language books

Benefits for target TTPP pupils and other learners in school - club activities linked to the primary curriculum/ linked to individual pupil targets

•TTPP funded Breakfast Club/After School’ Club

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Secondary

Schools

8

Schools’ Use of TTPP Funding•e.g. ask questions independently in class

•extend pupil awareness of own curricular needs

•enable pupil to bridge cultural difference when interacting with peers/adults

Overall Focus, Secondaries:Increased learner independence

TTPP support focus covered both Core Curriculum and Foundation Subjects (trends – English, MFL, Science).

9

1

Focus on Literacy

Focus on social skills/interaction

Home-School Liaison

Focus on Speaking /Listening in the Curriculum

Maths

Subject Specific Vocabulary

Percentage of individuals from all responding secondary schools (approx)

Focus Area – secondary pupils(usually more than one focus area)

42%

1 pupil

1 pupil

27%

1 pupil

27%

4

TTPP Attainment Trends- English Language Skills (Secondaries)

2-5 sublevels over 3 terms

2-5 sublevels over 3 terms

5 sublevels over 3 terms

WritingReadingSpeaking/Listening

GCSE Predictions: by June2011,up one grade in some cases, e.g. C to B-; D to C; F to G

up two grades in one case,D to B

All 2ndary trends

tentative –

Low TTPP pupil

numbers

How has the project helped you?

Definitely, with my course work.

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10

Impact Perceived by RespondentsArea of Focus(Secondaries)

improved understanding of pupils’ needs; improved focus for support in school

TTPP enabled Action Plans re all four language skills

… enabling focused support through insights gained into current pupil needs/ strengths/ rates of progress

TTPP enabled •thorough individual assessment of target pupils •monitoring of target pupils’learning across the curriculum

Enabled pupil to discuss cultural differences and to work out appropriate responses when interacting with White British peers

Social skills sessions

Focused support put in place using funding, significant impact on pupil confidence/pupil outcomese.g. improved Engl grammar;

improved communication skills in English

Mentoring and/or focused TA support createdopportunities to confidespecific difficulties re Engl. Language acquisition (1:1)

ASSESSMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: STAGES 1 TO 2

Name of Pupil Year

Stage 1: NEW TO ENGLISH

as found in ‘A LANGUAGE IN COMMON’ QCA/00/584

Stage 2: BECOMING FAMILIAR

WITH ENGLISH

Pre Step 1

Step 1

Step 2

Level 1 Threshold

Level 1 Secure

Stage 2

Advanced Stage 2

Listening Skills

Responds to familiar people/routines/activities/actions including response to own name. Shows understanding of names of familiar objects e.g. items in a picture.

Pupils listen attentively for short bursts of time. They use non-verbal gestures to respond to greetings & questions about themselves. They follow up simple instructions based on the routines of the classroom.

Pupils understand simple conversational English. They listen & respond to the gist of general explanations by the teacher where the language is supported by non-verbal cues, including illustrations.

With support, pupils understand & respond appropriately to straightforward comments or instructions addressed to them. They listen attentively to a range of speakers, including teacher presentation to the whole class.

In familiar contexts, pupils follow what others say about what they are doing & thinking. They listen with understanding to sequences of instructions & usually respond appropriately in conversations.

Understands more English than he/she may use. Beginning to understand a variety of commonly used phrases & expressions.

Increasing ability to understand conversation from peer group. Ability to understand stories/speech without visual cues. Ability to understand complex instructions for task set.

Speaking Skills (& non-verbal communication)

Communicates simple needs, wants or feelings with intent, using facial expressions/signs/sounds as appropriate. Attempts to communicate in home language to peers, where present.

Pupils echo words & expressions drawn from classroom routines & social interactions to communicate meaning. They express some basic needs, using single words or phrases in English.

Pupils copy talk that has been modelled. In their speech, they show some control of English word order & their pronunciation is intelligible.

Pupils speak about matters of immediate interest in familiar settings. They convey meaning through talk & gesture & can extend what they say with support. Their speech is sometimes grammatically incomplete at word & phrase level.

Pupils speak about matters of interest to a range of listeners & begin to develop connected utterances. What they say shows some grammatical complexity in expressing relationships between ideas & sequences of events. Pupils convey meaning sustaining their contributions & the listeners’ interest.

Participates in conversation with short appropriate responses.

Ability to hold a conversation spontaneously with peer group/teacher. Ability to report chronological events.

Reading Skills

Enjoys looking at pictures/books/other written material. Shows early book-handling skills. Able to follow sequence in picture book. Recognises print conveys meaning.

Pupils participate in reading activities. They know that, in English, print is read from left to right & from top to bottom. They recognise their names & familiar words & identify some letters of the alphabet by shape & sound.

Pupils begin to associate sounds with letters in English & to predict what the text will be about. They read words & phrases that they have learnt in different curriculum areas. With support, they can follow a text read aloud.

Pupils can read a range of familiar words & identify initial & final sounds in unfamiliar words. With support, they can establish meaning when reading aloud phrases or simple sentences & use contextual clues to gain understanding. They respond to events & ideas in poems, stories & non-fiction.

Pupils use their knowledge of letters, sounds & words to establish meaning when reading familiar texts aloud, sometimes with prompting. They comment on events or ideas in poems, stories & non-fiction.

Can select, independently, books for own use for pleasure & information. Enjoys shared/paired reading. Progression through reading scheme.

Demonstrates knowledge of alphabet using word books & dictionaries.

Ability to read accurately & understand signs, labels, notices & high frequency words.

Writing Skills

Make marks drawing on paper. Holds/uses pencil/pen/crayon/felt pen. Uses pictures to convey meaning.

Pupils use English letters & letter like forms to convey meaning. They copy or write their names & familiar words & write from left to right.

Pupils attempt to express meaning in writing, supported by oral work or pictures. Generally their writing is intelligible to themselves & a familiar reader & shows some knowledge of sound & letter patterns in English spelling. Building on their knowledge of literacy in another language, pupils show knowledge of the function of sentence division.

Pupils produce recognisable letters & words in texts which convey meaning & show some knowledge of English sentence division & word order. Most commonly used letters are correctly shaped but may be inconsistent in their size & orientation.

Pupils use phrases & longer statements which convey ideas to the reader making some use of full-stops & capital letters. Some grammatical patterns are irregular & pupils’ grasp of English sounds & how they are written is not secure. Letters are usually clearly shaped & correctly orientated.

Beginning to write short passages modelled on texts. Occasionally uses adjectives & is beginning to be aware of different tenses in sentence structure. Uses phonic cues as a strategy in writing.

Beginning to write independently. Beginning to write factual chronological events, but with support.

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ASSESSMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: STAGES 3 TO 4

Name of Pupil Year

Stage 3: BECOMING A CONFIDENT USER OF ENGLISH

Stage 4: A FLUENT USER OF ENGLISH IN MOST SOCIAL &

LEARNING CONTEXTS

Early Stage 3

Intermediate Stage 3

Advanced Stage 3

Stage 4

Listening Skills

Beginning to understand reasoned discussion. Listens attentively to stories, poems, descriptions & narratives. Ability to understand instructions/information in subject-specific context.

Beginning to understand commentary which contains complex structures & subject-specific language with visual support e.g. television/video/DVD programmes. Listening with a greater span of concentration to more difficult speech/text without visual cues.

Understands reasoned discussion. Beginning to understand complex explanations from teacher without visual clues. Beginning to understand metaphors & puns.

Ability to understand discussion, talk, presentation in most complex situations. Able to take notes. Confidence in participating in peer group discussion.

Speaking Skills (& non-verbal communication)

Can talk about texts heard or read. Beginning to successfully express more complex needs. Ability to convey the gist of message to a third person.

Beginning to predict outcomes given information. Beginning to express own opinion appropriately. Ability to relate real or imaginary events e.g. commentary on video/DVD or home experiences.

Growing command of syntax in talk. Developing the ability to tell jokes.

Asks & responds to questions in a range of situations with confidence. Can participate in a presentation e.g. describe the outcome of a group activity/investigation/argument.

Reading Skills

Makes effective use of alphabetical index & contents pages. Becoming an independent reader of English. Beginning to recognise where to write personal information on forms or questionnaires.

Makes effective use of dictionary to check meaning. Able to extract relevant information from simple diagrams, graphs & maps. Beginning to acquire widening vocabulary from reading stories, poems & factual texts.

Beginning to follow written instructions in formal situations. Willing to take risks as an independent English reader, but still needs support with unfamiliar texts e.g. Science, History, Geography.

Makes effective use of dictionary & texts for a variety of purposes. Able to follow written instructions from text or diagram but still needing support for subject specific language.

Writing Skills

Beginning to appreciate & use a range of writing genres. Able to complete simple forms & questionnaires. Beginning to revise & redraft in discussion with the teacher, other adults or pupils.

Able to write a simple message/letter from spoken information. Able to give a written account of an event or experience in chronological order but needing support with punctuation, paragraphing etc.

Growing command of syntactic structure & developing the use of metaphor & pun. Able to write a clear set of instructions/reports/summaries/ hypotheses. Can put into writing a clear set of information from diagrams, graphs & prints.

An independent writer in most contexts but still needing support in using subtle nuances of metaphor & Anglo-centric, cultural content in poems & literature. Ability to write a description related to an event or personal experience. March 2007

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