EAL – English as an Additional Language

At Victoria Park Junior School we celebrate the multicultural and linguistic diversity of our pupils and their families and the richness this brings to our school.  At present, nearly half of our pupils are from different ethnic minorities and approximately 25% are learning English as an additional language. A recent survey listed over 20 different languages being spoken in our school!

Our school values the individuality of all children. We are committed to giving all of our children every opportunity to achieve the highest of standards. We do this by taking account of pupils’ varied life experiences and needs and this includes recognising and valuing their home language and background.   Many of our EAL pupils are from well-established bilingual or multilingual communities in Stretford and have become advanced bilingual learners. Others are new to the country and may be the only speakers of their home language in the class or the school.  

On entry to our school, children who have recently arrived in the country will be assessed so that their individual needs may be catered for accordingly, as is outlined in our school policy.  Advanced bilingual speakers may also require additional support and this is determined by their class teacher and the EAL lead.  However, we believe that good EAL teaching practice is beneficial for ALL learners, which is why our emphasis is on quality first teaching in the classroom.