EAL

EAL (English as an Additional Language)

The term EAL (English as an Additional Language) is used when referring to pupils whose main language at home is a language other than English. At Furzeham we aim to work together to meet the full range of needs of these children and their families, ensuring they all feel valued in the Furzeham community.

At Furzeham, we recognise the importance of children achieving their potential no matter where their starting point is:

To this end, we assess the skills and needs of pupils with EAL on admission and provide appropriate provision according to their needs. We use a range of different strategies to support children as they develop fluency for the English language, thus enhancing both their social and academic experiences within the school environment.

Specialist help is available from our EAL Lead, Miss James who support both the children and their families.

At Furzeham, we welcome and value the cultural, linguistic and educational experiences that pupils with EAL bring to our school. We aim to give status to EAL children’s skills in their own language(s) and acknowledge the time it takes to become fluent in an additional language. We encourage pupils to use their first language to explore concepts supported through a home-school vocabulary book and implement a range of strategies to ensure that EAL pupils are supported in accessing the curriculum.