The central aim of the department is to help provide equality of opportunity for students who join the school with English as an additional language.

Our EAL coordinator is a fully trained and highly experienced teacher, who strives to ensure that our EAL students are able to fully access the curriculum, and therefore achieve their full potential.

We provide:

• A supportive EAL classroom where our EAL students will receive specialised lessons to help the in their langue acquisition.

• Intensive language tuition for all newly-arrived beginners in English.

• Testing, using EAL Star, to assess needs in speaking, listening, reading and writing and to ensure appropriate interventions and support, along with focused tracking of progress in these areas.

• KS4 language development, particularly focussing on improving attainment at GCSE English.

• A range of differentiated learning resources designed to help pupils with literacy needs (including those from an EAL background) to access the curriculum.

• Strong pastoral support, including the organisation of a mother-tongue interpreter where possible.

• New joiner EAL buddies to forge strong peer connections and ensure an instant sense of belonging within the school.

• In-service training for new staff on issues related to EAL and literacy.