Advisory service for EAL pupils

There is support available to schools with newly arrived pupils for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL), funded, in part, by the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG), and supplemented by funding from the LEA. Grant money is devolved to schools in April of each year. The grant is ring-fenced for schools to use for teachers, teaching assistants, bilingual assistants or resources.

A team of two advisory teachers offer:
– Assessment of children’s English language needs;
– Advice to class teachers and head teachers on teaching and learning strategies and resources;
– In-service training for teachers and teaching assistants at no extra cost to the school.

Translation and interpretation is available in the following circumstances:

– first language assessments for EAL pupils who may have Special Educational Needs;
– for parents of EAL children with Statements of Special Educational Needs at Annual Reviews where parents would otherwise be unable to communicate;
– for parents of children supported by EMAG funding concerning issues of pupil health, attendance, behaviour or exclusion where otherwise parents would not be able to communicate.

Note: Schools with appropriate bilingual staff will not normally be eligible for funding under this heading.

In order to help Suffolk's schools to realise best-practice in helping EAL pupils, we provide the following key phase resources in various languages, as well as being able to offer advice on an ad hoc basis. Click on the icons below to access a PDF or Word.doc of these resources: