English as an Additional Language
'To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world.'
- Chinese Proverb
At Hamworthy Primary Schools we are proud to welcome families from a wealth of different cultures and backgrounds and we greatly value the rich diversity of our school community. We have pupils from all around the world and over 26 different languages are spoken within our school community by both our pupils and their families, and also by our staff members. We believe that multilingualism is a strength and we recognise the importance of valuing pupils home language and culture.
EAL means English as an Additional Language; whether your child is a confident speaker of English as well as their home language, or if they have very little English, they will still be considered to be an EAL learner.
We asses our EAL learners according to their English language skills using the Portsmouth Pathway as well as how they are performing withing the national curriculum. This is so that we can make sure all pupils receive the support they need in order to achieve their full potential.
At Hamworthy Primary Schools we value the wealth of knowledge and skills that our EAL pupils bring to the school. We have a group of KS2 pupils who take on the responsibility of being interpreters for our new families.
Interpreters Responsibilities:
- To show new families around the school, particularly those with English as an additional language
- Buddy up with new arrivals (particularly at lunchtime and playtime) during their 1st few weeks, to show them where things are in the school.
- Introduce new arrivals to other pupils and help them communicate.
- Where appropriate supporting pupils by translating through a shared language.
- Check that new arrivals are settling in well at the school.
- Supporting EAL lead with the 'Language of the Half Term.'
Language of the Half Term
Each half term we focus on one of the many languages that are spoken by our families. During assemblies we discuss facts about the language, including where it is spoken and who across the Federation speaks it. We also learn words and phrases from the focus language. We encourage pupils who speak the language to speak to their class about their language and culture.
The language for the Autumn half term will be Polish
Parent Support
Being able to speak more than one language is a great opportunity for a child. Being literate in a home language has been known to support a child's development of English language rather than hinder it. Keep speaking and reading with your child in your home language as well as encouraging them in their English language learning.
We really hope that you find the resources on this page useful. Please contact our EAL Lead; Sara Coulter via the School Office if you have any questions or would like any more information.
Resources
If you do not see a particular language, please let us know and we can provide this for you.