English as a Second Language

Across the school, over 250 learners access our whole-school literacy intervention programme. Over twenty teachers support the success of this programme by dedicating more than thirty teaching hours to working with EAL learners in small groups or one-to-one. In Key Stage 4, we offer an alternative pathway for beginner EAL learners to gain an IGSCE English as a Second Language qualification. In addition to this, our Key Stage 5 EAL learners are able to access targeted support in preparing for IELTS assessments. For our EAL learners who are working towards mastering BICS, we offer in-class EAL support during English lessons, which is tiered in relation to the needs of each learner. To supplement this, we have an EAL Enrichment Programme, which runs after-school for all beginner EAL learners from Monday to Wednesday.

GCSE English as Second Language

To support beginner EAL learners in Key Stage 4 to be academically successful in English we offer an IGCSE English as a Second Language alternative pathway. Throughout this course, learners are presented with a variety of stimuli that builds up their skills in reading and writing. They learn to select relevant details, understand the difference between what is directly stated and implied and practice writing effectively for different purposes and audiences. Learners listen to a range of spoken material, including talks and conversations, in order to develop listening skills. Additionally, learners engage in a range of discussions on a variety of topics to develop their oral language proficiency.

Last year, 100% of the GCSE cohort achieved a pass grade and exceeded their CAT4 predicted grades for English. Throughout the duration of the course, 100% of the cohort made outstanding progress in English. This year, mock results indicate that the current GCSE cohort are on track to achieving a pass grade or above as well.

Lexia Literacy Intervention Programme

This intervention enables learners to rapidly master literacy skills in English. Lexia is a research-proven program that provides explicit, systematic and personalised instruction. It is a computer-based program that targets literacy skill gaps as they emerge. Progress and performance is closely tracked throughout each session so that each learner is given the most relevant teacher-led tutorial to support their learning.

On average, our primary learners are making 2.6 months of progress for each month that they access the intervention. Our secondary learners are making 7.7 months of progress for each month that they access the intervention.