EAL
The government define an EAL learner as anyone who has been exposed to a language other than English during early childhood and who continues to be exposed to this language in the home or in the community.
Here at Overleigh St Mary's we are proud to be a multilingual school and celebrate all 36 plus different languages spoken. The Governors and staff vigorously promote an ethos which encourages mutual respect for all, no matter what their race, gender, preferred language, religion or ethnicity. All pupils need to feel safe, accepted and valued in order to learn. For pupils who are learning English as an additional language, this includes recognising and valuing their home language and culture.
As a school, we are aware that bilingualism is a strength and that EAL pupils and their family, have a valuable contribution to make to our school community. We take a whole school approach, including ethos, curriculum, education against racism and promoting language awareness. We believe the best progress in language learning is made when class teachers, TAs and the EAL co-ordinators work closely together with the pupils themselves and their parents.
We are using the Learning Village online resource Learners can pre-learn progressive English language and more technical vocabulary and language structures that align with lessons and support with differentiation.
We have translated lots of useful vocabulary sheets into many languages. These include words and phrases to help you deal with every day situations you might find yourself in. These are for adults as well as children.