ETHNIC MINORITY ACHIEVEMENT POLICY FOR THE INCLUSION OF BILINGUAL EAL LEARNERS & REFUGEE ASYLUM SEEKERS
At Christ s College Finchley we believe that pupils learning English as an additional language are entitled to the full National Curriculum programme of study and that all teachers have the responsibility for ensuring the progress of bilingual EAL learners by working closely with the EMA Coordinator, pupils and their parents. The EAL policy is concerned with bilingual learners who have a home language other than English or Welsh and who are in the process of learning to use English as an additional language for their educational purposes. Bilingual EAL learners at Christ s College Finchley come from a range of ethnic backgrounds, from a variety of language and literacy backgrounds. Some have arrived here having had a certain amount of exposure to the English language and the local culture; others are newcomers to both. Some have developed literacy skills in their home language; others are pre-literate. Some have comparable schooling to their age equivalent peers; others may have experienced interrupted or no previous education. Underlying Principles At Christ s College Finchley all bilingual EAL learners are entitled to the full range of statutory education. All bilingual EAL learners are entitled to equal opportunities of educational success. We believe Bilingualism/Multiculturalism is an achievement which is educationally enriching. Having a home language other than English is not a learning difficultly. SEN needs and the needs of bilingual EAL learners are not identical neither are they mutually exclusive. Objectives: We at Christ s College Finchley aim to achieve the following objectives: To ensure that all bilingual EAL learners participate in and gain access to mainstream and National Curriculum provision. To support bilingual EAL learners in their acquisition of English Language skills across the curriculum. To ensure that bilingual EAL learners attain the National Curriculum levels appropriate to their intellectual ability. To monitor progress in the acquisition of English as an additional language for all bilingual EAL learners. To promote partnership teaching and other appropriate methods of supporting bilingual EAL learners. To develop resources, including home language translations/exam papers that will enhance the linguistic skills and conceptual underlying of bilingual EAL learners. To develop home/school/community links. REFUGEE ASYLUM SEEKERS In accordance with the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000, we at Christ s College Finchley ensure that Refugee/Asylum Seeker pupils integrate fully into the education Bi-lingual EAL Policy PP Page 2
system. When refugee pupils join the school they may have experienced disruption to their schooling and the loss of friends/family. Going to a school which has a friendly welcoming environment and being fully included helps restore daily routines and provides a safe environment and opportunities to make progress with learning. Developing support for refugee pupils is a whole school responsibility. All staff working with refugee/asylum seeking pupils have a responsibility for contributing to the creation of a refugee friendly environment. WHOLE SCHOOL ETHOS, THROUGH WORKING WITH BILINGUAL PUPILS & MAINSTREAM COLLEAGUES Celebrate Diversity Displays, Wall Charts, and a positive multiethnic culture throughout the school. Clear commitment to parental involvement; provide appropriate interpreting and translation services. Strong links to communities. Religious & Cultural visits. Festival assemblies/workshops (i.e. Refugee Week celebration and Black History Month) Welcome posters in home language and multilingual notices posted around the school. Community language GCSE/AS/A2 exams in home language. Bilingual Dictionaries Library Resources Books in home languages. Fiction/Non-fiction, poetry written by Ethnic Authors & Poets. Magazines & Newspapers in home languages. Bi-lingual EAL Policy PP Page 3
STRATEGIES FOR INCLUSION OF BILINGUAL LEARNERS Induction of new Arrivals Buddy System to provide effective models. Home Language translations of letters/exams. Extra In-Class support & withdrawal lessons. Provide curriculum resources in a variety of language, dual text, videos and internet. Enable pupils to work at their own linguistic level. Refugee Provisions Free School Uniform Scheme. Dictionaries in home languages. Contributions for school trips paid from EMA budget where necessary. Work Experience Placements. Free School Meals. Reward & Sanctions System Merits & Certificates Strategies in place to deal with racial harassment and negative attitude. Dissemination of information to mainstream staff about EAL pupils A very informative Database of targeted EAL/Ethnic Minority pupils available to all staff on the Shared Area (G: drive) of the school computer network. Mainstream teachers and Heads of Department are informed through link meetings of new arrivals and offered strategies and advice on giving pupils opportunities to contribute and interact, in both speaking and writing within the classroom context. Exam Support 25% extra time in Public exams for EAL boys who have been in the UK for less than two years. Use of bilingual dictionary. Translations in home language where appropriate. (e.g. KS3 Mental Maths) Interpreters at Parents Evenings Parents who need interpreters are supported appropriately. Flexibility in setting times for parental interviews. Facility to Pray Room 517 is our dedicated Prayer room for Friday prayers and everyday during Ramadan where a member of staff leads and supervises the prayers. Identification of EAL pupils needs A baseline assessment is given to all Year 7 pupils (CATs). EAL pupils and pupils new to English are also assessed for their individual needs using the Cambridge Young Learners Test for English (Starters, Movers, Flyers) Bi-lingual EAL Policy PP Page 4
AS/A2 pupils who have arrived without a GCSE in English sit the Cambridge IELTS exam which is recognised as a Language requirement for entry to all courses at an undergraduate level in the UK. In-Class Support Promoting collaborative practices. Joint Planning. Sharing of skills and expertise. Links to Curriculum team and Heads of Departments through meetings. To provide flexible grouping arrangements in the classroom offering opportunities to work with more advanced users of English. Differentiated worksheets to make the curriculum more accessible. Course work and exam revision. Reviewing the baseline, KS3, FFT data to raise achievement of targeted pupils. Raising achievement of underachieving Black & Caribbean students through mentoring and role models. Termly tracking and SMART targets set. Evaluation of targets at the end of the academic year. Actively engaging all bilingual learners at different levels of proficiency in class. The Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant The majority of funding for support for bilingual and minority ethnic pupils now comes from the EMA grant, which has been directly devolved to schools. This has resulted in a change of emphasis in the work of the support team. The purpose of the grant is to provide equality of opportunity for all minority groups, in particular: To meet the needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL); To raise standards of achievement of minority ethnic groups who are at risk of under-achieving. Monitoring and Assessing Bilingual Pupils learning To monitor pupil progress by ethnicity, using the information to identify groups at risk of under-achievement and ensure appropriate action is taken. Target support to assist more fluent EAL learners at Key Stage 3 and GCSE level to gain greater control of academic language. Examine grouping/setting arrangements to ensure that placement of EAL learners is based on their cognitive ability, not on English language competence. Mid-phase bilingual new arrivals are assessed and where necessary an Induction programme is in for place for a smooth transition. PLEASE NOTE THIS POLICY IS UNDER REVIEW Bi-lingual EAL Policy PP Page 5