We are a team of school improvement specialists, consultants and leaders in the fields of academic literacy, English as an additional language and ethnic minority achievement.
Why touching things and being physically close to other learners is important
When I was Head of EAL in an East London secondary school I found myself teaching with the Head of Science. It is fair to say that he was old...
- Graham Smith
- 28th May 2020
Newsletter 3 – Summer Term 2020
In these unprecedented times we feel it is important to reach out to our subscribers and offer all the support we can. We have had a number of enquiries about how...
- Graham Smith
- 22nd May 2020
The EAL Proficiency Scales: gone but not forgotten (Part 1)
The Department for Education has now published a useful analysis of its short lived English as an additional language proficiency scales. It tells us much of what we already knew:...
- Graham Smith
- 21st April 2020
Acquiring language through immersion (Russian lessons, a Twinings warehouse and endless Midsomer Murders)
When I was fourteen years old, I started to learn Russian. For the first seven weeks, I spent four hours a week in a classroom with five other pupils and...
- Graham Smith
- 7th April 2020
Gold EAL Quality Mark for Cauldwell School in Bedford
EAL learners comprise more than 70% of Cauldwell School’s roll. Over the last 15 years, the headteacher, Judith Apps, has seen its pupil profile change. “We have always had pupils...
- Graham Smith
- 27th March 2020
Newsletter 2 – Spring Term 2020
Developing literacy for a multilingual world Welcome to our second newsletter of 2020, keeping you up to date with current developments in EAL. This issue includes: delegate course this term and next term our...
- Rebecca Smith
- 24th March 2020
The performance of EAL pupils at GCSE in 2019: the headlines
The national GCSE data and individual secondary school outcomes, including the performance of EAL pupils, were released this month. These data give us lots of detailed information about the attainment and progress of EAL...
- Graham Smith
- 26th February 2020
Gold EAL Quality Mark Awarded to Lea Forest Primary Academy in Birmingham
The data tell us an interesting story. Lea Forest is a Birmingham primary school where around a third of pupils have English as an additional language and just over one...
- Graham Smith
- 25th February 2020
How does it feel to be a pupil with English as an additional language in the EYFS?
For many children with English as an additional language, starting in nursery or reception may be a difficult and sometimes traumatic transition from the home environment. I think putting yourself...
- Graham Smith
- 14th February 2020