English as an Additional Language

 At Saint James we believe language and cultural diversity are not a barrier to learning but a ladder to success. A significant number of our pupils speak English as an additional language and as an inclusive school catering for a large multilingual community, we believe the wealth of experiences children bring to school should be valued and celebrated. Our aim, throughout school, is to support pupils to become independent learners. Therefore, teachers ensure their planning incorporates the needs of EAL learners. There are a large amount of resources in classrooms, (dictionaries, vocabulary mats, dual-language books etc.) to support independence and to allow our children to become confident learners. There are also a large number of support staff available to support pupils with EAL needs.

We believe that the most effective way of developing language is through direct experience, play and interacting with peers. EAL learners are given many opportunities throughout the school day to do this. For example, new arrivals are placed with a buddy, in reception, the learning experience is promoted through play, throughout the school peer talk is used to evaluate each other’s work and many learning opportunities immerse the learner in experience encouraging them to talk and share their experience.