Effective support for pupils with English as an additional language

Effective Practice
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Parclewis Primary School

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Information about the school

Parc Lewis Primary School opened in 1908 in Treforest, Pontypridd. 258 pupils on roll, 35% of children live within a Community First Area. PLASC data three year average for free school meals is 26%. Within RCT, Parc Lewis had and continues to have the highest percentage of pupils with ethnicity other than British/Welsh (School 26% previous LA 4.6%) and the highest percentage of pupils with EAL Stage A-C (School 16% previous LA 1.4% and high levels of whole school mobility with frequent arrivals and departures throughout the year, across all year groups. Very few pupils attending Parc Lewis start Nursery and remain in school until Year 6.

Context and background to the effective or innovative practice

High levels of pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) entering throughout the year across the school, with no capacity for identification or intervention to meet language needs, leading to low self esteem, confidence and impacting pupil progress.

Description of nature of strategy or activity

  • SIG working to identify best practice for pupils with EAL.
  • Implementation of EAL pupil pre-entry protocol with parent/guardian to gather specific family, language and cultural information.
  • Entry and Exit Mobility tracker created to support pupil progress transition information sharing.
  • All staff trained to follow EAL Assessment pathway for pupils on entry, using WG 5 Stage Model, Baseline or Incerts, Salford and ELSA package of school based assessments to identify need and intervention. 
  • All EAL pupils to attend LSA led ‘ESL Kidstuff Programme’ group sessions weekly to build vocabulary and confidence.
  • EAL pupils Stage A-B to have a Young Interpreter/Buddy; Stages C-E to participate in lunchtime Peer Mentors ‘Friendship Group’ activities. 

What impact has this work had on provision and learners’ standards?

Implementing a clear and structured process for EAL pupils on entry into school has been invaluable to raising whole school standards of oracy. This, along with a professional learning programme for all staff, focused on language acquisition and development, has impacted positively on the learning of all pupils across the school.

Meeting with parents prior to their child’s start date has ensured that school and home work together to identify pupils’ language, social, emotional and cultural needs, for example identifying children who have arrived in the country with a relative, not their parent; understanding the needs of refugee pupils; and identifying pupils who do not have a secure first language. 

Pupils engaging in the ‘Young Interpreters’ scheme have developed a greater understanding  around inclusion and improved their knowledge and understanding of the needs of EAL pupils amongst their peers. Delivering the scheme through play-based activities, in the Foundation Phase environment and through Peer Mentor sessions at Key Stage 2 built new relationships friendships and cultural understanding. The school’s pupil well-being survey has shown an increase in the self-esteem of all pupils with EAL. This has evolved initially from non-verbal play to pupils gaining confidence to trial and use incidental language in reciprocal play. The implementation of the ESL Programme as an intervention has provided a framework for supporting staff in enabling effective progress.

Processes for understanding the needs of EAL learners from entry have been invaluable in helping children to settle quickly into the new learning environment. Due to the school’s strong culture of well-being and family ethos, all staff have taken ownership of their roles in developing pupils’ confidence to create an environment that encourages new language to flow. 
 

How have you shared your good practice?

This practice was shared initially with schools attending the 2018 EAL Conference at Cardiff City Stadium as part of the Cathays Cluster Project.

The school has shared its SIG 32 EAL Project work with the Hawthorn Cluster and RCT EAL Service. Parc Lewis continues to be a source of advice and support to other schools new to meeting the needs of pupils with EAL Stage A-E.