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DORMERS WELLS HIGH SCHOOL MATHS & COMPUTING SPECIALIST COLLEGE and Leading Edge School

“ New arrivals to the school are carefully inducted and the support given for those who are learning English is excellent. ” (Ofsted June 2008). DORMERS WELLS HIGH SCHOOL MATHS & COMPUTING SPECIALIST COLLEGE and Leading Edge School Language development to enhance performance “.

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DORMERS WELLS HIGH SCHOOL MATHS & COMPUTING SPECIALIST COLLEGE and Leading Edge School

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  1. “New arrivals to the school are carefully inducted and the support given for those who are learning English is excellent. ” (Ofsted June 2008) DORMERS WELLS HIGH SCHOOL MATHS & COMPUTING SPECIALIST COLLEGE and Leading Edge School Language development to enhance performance “

  2. School Context 11-19 school with 980 students. 48% of our students are on the SEN register, 68% speak English as a second language. 35% receive Free School Meals. The school is situated in one of the top 10 areas for multiple deprivation in England. BSF school, wave 5. Sixth Form opened September 2009.

  3. Over 40 newly arrived students join the school every year with EAL needs. Usually • Little or no English on arrival • Low levels of literacy in home language, little or no experience in writing anything down Often • No previous schooling Sometimes • High level of numeracy or literacy in another language (Scripting left to right v right to left) • Conceptual understanding on a par with very able students

  4. How do we enhance the performance of our EAL students? • Language issues not a barrier to learning • Home Languages accredited • Parental engagement essential • Celebration of cultural diversity

  5. Every Language matters • A range of languages is spoken in most curriculum areas • Focus on raising achievement in home language impacts positively on performance in other curriculum areas • Extra curricular lessons in Arabic, Latin, Panjabi and Urdu. Somali club • Priority on developing the communicative skills of our students: • Year 7 and Year 8 students do the Lingua Badge Award (in house certification and badge) • All students in Year 9 do a level 1 qualification in French (FCSE), Asset level 1 also being trialled • At KS4 students can opt for an Applied French with business GCSE • All KS4 MFL students are prepared for the British Airways Flag Award • There were 124 entries (Year group 180) for Level 2 languages in year 11 this year. Languages included: French, Somali, Tamil, Spanish, Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati, Polish, Arabic, German, Portuguese, Persian, and Bengali. • To facilitate the testing of Asset Languages, students are being trained as examiners. • Somali parents will be taking Asset Language exam next year

  6. Languages and Culture are taken outside the classroom • Business Links - Workshops at British Airways • Language immersion days, including cookery and music workshops. Visiting theatre groups • Close links with universities, particularly SOAS – work shops and summer schools • Cross curricular links – Active languages project P.E. and French – London Metropolitan University • Tree Buddies project with Green Corridors, Horticulture, Art, EAL • Achievability for all – work with Westminster University on Language acquisition for students with learning difficulties • Co-construction of learning project with Creative Partnerships

  7. Languages an asset not a a barrier • Clear language focus - pre-teach rather than simplify • Careful audit of language skills (home language assessment) • Language free Maths test • Staff training on EAL focused teaching : questioning, exemplifying, illustrating and modelling. • Every teacher an EAL teacher - school literacy focus • EAL offered as an option at KS4 and KS5 for both early and advanced bilingual learners. • Induction programme and tracking for new arrivals ensures they are on track quickly. • Personalised timetabling, including doubling in some areas, all negotiated with students.

  8. “In class, the learning of those at an early stage of learning English and those who have difficulties with their learning is extremely well supported by teachers and teaching assistants who play an active role in the planning and delivery of teaching..”(Ofsted June 2008)

  9. Pupils motivation to learn and desire to achieve School’s stance on celebrating cultural diversity Writing frameworks to help present work Visual aids Other pupils using home language to aid understanding Dictionaries in home languages & English Marking that gives guidance Models of what is expected Extra support from EMA Induction and buddy system Target groups What pupils say helps

  10. In addition to teaching those at an early stage of learning English, the school identifies high achievers who are held back because, whilst good, their English is not good enough to pick up nuances, and ensures that they too are helped.”(Ofsted June 2008)

  11. New Technologies enhance teaching • Video conferencing • Pod casting • Sound field systems • Visualisers

  12. Key areas for advanced bi-lingual learners • Language register: Colloquial v formal language • Idioms: She needs to pull up her socks • Collocations: e.g. high probability, crystal clear, user friendly • Comparisons: bright – brighter v intelligent – more intelligent • Passive: use of passive will enable the writer to speak in the abstract The water was boiled • Modal verbs: you must v would you • Nominalisation: Using nouns in the place of verbs can make communication more formal: Crime was increasing rapidly and the police were becoming concerned V The rapid increase in crime was causing concern among the police. • Pronouns: incorrect use leads to ambiguity and repetition of noun inhibits fluency

  13. Top Tips to ensure EAL students achieve • Disseminate information on new arrivals as soon as possible • Allow them to settle in before assessing them • Ensure all teachers see EAL teaching as their responsibility (awareness of processing times when questioning etc.) • Ensure everyone is aware that low language performance does not equate to low cognitive ability – regular training updates • Give them a sense of ownership and belonging, the ‘buddied’ student becomes the buddy . • Celebrate cultural diversity • Act promptly where there is a differential between verbal and non verbal CATS score (average can be misleading) • Engage parents: Coffee morning and offer of accreditation in Home Language • Ensure that teachers use lots of visuals , examples and modelling • Creative timetabling; Reduce the number of GCSE options and double in some subjects, Arrange for an advanced bi-lingual student to do early GCSE and then attach to a language rich KS4 class for lessons • If withdrawal arrangements are made ensure that reintegration is well organised • Vary the delivery to suit the needs of the learners, some year groups will have withdrawal EAL groups in Key Stage 3 • When changing the timetable or arranging additional classes ensure that the student is involved from the outset

  14. Want to know more? Grace Dawson Dormers Wells High School gdawson@dormers-wells.ealing.sch.uk www.dormers-wells.ealing.sch.uk Tel. 0208 813 8671

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