Rationale 

Children who have English as an additional language (EAL) join Reffley Academy at a variety of stages in their language acquisition. Children arrive at a variety of ages and with widely different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. Some children are from privileged urban backgrounds having had a high standard of education, others have had little or interrupted schooling or may have experienced traumatic events. 

Typically, children have a diverse general knowledge through exposure to more than one culture and country. There is an active local community that supports migrant families with access to support, training and language classes. Engagement with this service is mixed, with some families preferring to gain support and socialisation from their immediate/extended families; other families are fully integrated within the local community. 

Intent 

Our aim is to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, are able to succeed and are fully prepared for the next stage of their education.
We are committed to ensuring that every child feels welcome, secure, included and valued within our school community.

For pupils who have English as an Additional Language (EAL), we aim to:

• Personalise learning and emotional support to meet the needs of each individual child and family.
• Support pupils in becoming confident, fluent English speakers.
• Celebrate and value each child's first language and cultural identity.
• Provide high-quality language support so that pupils can learn English and learn through English effectively.

Implementation 

To support children with EAL, we focus on the following key strategies:

Using the Pupil’s Home Language

• Wherever possible, pupils receive support from a same‑language adult, class buddy or older pupil.
• Online translation tools are used to aid communication and involvement in class activities.
• Older pupils are encouraged to research curriculum topics in their home language.
• Dual‑language books are available for independent reading and to take home.
• Children are encouraged to share key words from their home language with adults and peers.

Adult Support

• “New to English” pupils access short, regular interventions focusing on essential language skills, such as greetings, requests, classroom vocabulary and phrases for expressing misunderstanding.
• Teaching assistants provide in‑class support whenever possible, including pre‑teaching vocabulary, quick sketches, and visual prompts.
• Information is shared with families via Class Dojo, which offers translation features to support parental engagement.

In‑Class Support

We recognise that EAL learners must learn English and learn the curriculum through English. To support this dual process, we:

• Use a wide range of visual supports, including timetables, multilingual instruction mats, “survival fans,” word banks and writing frames.
• Provide EAL picture dictionaries and age‑appropriate bilingual dictionaries.
• Seat learners close to the teacher to support understanding through facial cues and expression.
• Use gestures, mimes, clear speech and non‑idiomatic language.
• Place pupils next to supportive language role models.
• Give single‑step instructions and point to relevant key words or visuals.
• Ask targeted, simple, differentiated “yes/no” questions.
• Allow additional thinking time before expecting answers.
• Use drawings to reinforce vocabulary and concepts.
• Explicitly teach key words and phrases.
• Plan activities such as sorting, matching, sequencing, labelling, gap‑fills, writing frames and substitution tables.
• Communicate regularly with home so families know what topics are being covered and can discuss them in their home language.
• Provide regular visual vocabulary flashcards as homework, beginning with school and classroom language.
• Use assessment tools to track language acquisition, moving through:
  New to English → Beginning Early Acquisition → Emerging Developing Competence → Expanding Competent → Diversifying Fluent

Impact 

As a result of our approach:

• All children feel safe, valued, included and able to participate fully in school life.
• Pupils with EAL make strong progress in acquiring English and developing confidence across all areas of learning.
• Children maintain pride in their home language and cultural identity, contributing to a rich, inclusive school environment.
• Parents feel informed and involved, enabling strong home–school partnerships.
• Ongoing assessment ensures that support is tailored, targeted and effective, enabling pupils to access the curriculum and achieve well.