English as an Additional Language
At Bewick Bridge Primary School we celebrate the fact that many of our children speak more than one language and acknowledge their ability to use a variety of languages as well as English. In our school the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of all children are paramount. All our pupils are encouraged to achieve the highest possible results whatever their starting point.
The term English as an Additional Language (EAL) is commonly used in mainstream UK education to describe children who speak one or more languages in their home and who are learning much of their English in an educational setting.
Our EAL learners are welcomed and fully included in our classrooms; EAL learners are learning the same subjects as pupils from English speaking families.
At Bewick Bridge we believe cultural diversity is beneficial for the school community, as well as for the new children joining our school. We welcome and encourage all children and their parents to share their unique cultural and linguistic heritage and their educational experiences.
In our school the teachers take action to help children who are learning English as an additional language by building on their experiences, providing a wide variety of opportunities for them to practise newly acquired language, and giving them chances to hear their home languages as well as English. In many cases, the school can also help with providing bilingual support to extend their vocabulary and learn new chunks of language quickly.
New and prospective families are always welcome to visit. For any questions, please call the school office on 01223508772 or contact us by email office@bewickbridge.com to arrange an appointment. We would love to see you and help you with your queries.
Our EAL co-ordinator is Klara Banks. Klara has vast experience working with children and adults where English is not their mother tongue. For over 20 years, she has worked in a variety of settings and cultures including The Czech Republic, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya and the UK.
What to expect when first contacting the school:
Our team can answer your initial questions.
We will arrange a meeting with your family and the EAL co-ordinator or a member of the leadership team at our school. These meetings usually take place on Monday afternoons between 1-3pm.
During the meeting, we will ask you more questions about your child and your family. To get the feel for our school and learning, we will take you around the school and we will show you your child's prospective class. Also, we will talk to your child and do some simple activities with him/her to help us establish their abilities and level of English.
The family will be asked to complete all the necessary paperwork and the child(ren) will be invited to join our school.
What happens when the child starts the school:
The child will join the appropriate class and meet his/her classmates. Then he/she will take part in and will become fully immersed in all the learning and activities with their peers.
Depending on the child's level of English, he/she will get additional support with their learning. This additional support is highlighted in the EAL on a page document.
The child will meet his/her two buddies, i.e. children that will help with the newcomer's transition to our school. The buddies will be from the same class as the new child and, if possible, at least one of them will be able to speak the newcomer's first language and will 'work' as an interpreter for them. The buddies will change weekly to help the new pupil to meet and interact with more pupils in a relatively short time.
EAL and community events:
There are lots of EAL activities and events that take place at our school. Just to name a few, children from an EAL background can be awarded an EAL Award. They can also showcase their culture during their show-and-tell sessions with their class. We celebrate International Mother Tongue Day and we organise an International Food Evening at Bewick Bridge every year. Furthermore, we have a group of EAL parents who attend free English lessons at our school every Monday morning. We have lots of ideas and for the future we are preparing a variety of exciting EAL related events.