Deptford Green is a culturally diverse school. Over 50 languages are spoken at home among our pupils, who come from different ethnic backgrounds.

Languages spoken at Deptford Green

1. Spanish
2. Cantonese
3. Dutch/Flemish
4. French
5. Italian
6. Lithuanian
7. Mandarin
8. Polish
9. Portuguese
10. Somali
11. Arabic
12. Tamil
13. Turkish
14. Vietnamese
15. Yoruba

The English as an Additional Language (EAL) department’s aim is to support and extend the English language development of all bilingual/multilingual pupils. For early-stage language learners, we endeavour to equip them with basic literacy skills through an intensive induction programme. For more advanced language learners, we support them both in 1:1 sessions and in their mainstream classrooms in order to ensure that they can fully access core National Curriculum subjects, particularly in English, Mathematics, and Science.

We want all EAL pupils to:

• To feel welcome, motivated, and supported by the department and the school.
• To enjoy learning English
• To be increasingly confident, competent, and independent listeners, speakers, readers, and writers
• To make good progress in English in relation to challenging and achievable targets.
• To have access to the curriculum in all subject areas

Department Contact Details

The EAL Department is run by Mr Almeida (Head of EAL Department) alongside Ms Fernandez (High Level Teaching Assistant).

Support within the EAL Department

We have created our own EAL Curriculum from scratch, as there is no standard National EAL curriculum. Its aim is to support EAL students through a tailored programme of subject related skill acquisition to enable pupils to fully access the mainstream curriculum thus paving the way for a smooth integration into British society.

Support is offered at a range of levels, and individual needs are considered. Depending on their level of English, students may receive individual, or small group lessons to develop fluency in reading, writing, or speaking, always following the mainstream TMP (term medium plan). All students receive support in our EAL Homework Clubs, at lunch time.

For students who are new to the UK, we have developed a support system which we hope will help the students to settle in as quickly as possible:

• On arrival: We do the admissions interview with new EAL arrivals; then we test students' English and keep them with us in EAL for lessons until they have a full timetable. We take this opportunity to get to know more about the additional issues that they may have as they are usually new in the country (e.g., SEN conditions, family background, cognitive and emotional problems, economic issues, etc.) We also give parents our EAL contact (if they are not fluent in English) so they can contact us if they need to get in touch with the school.

• EAL Staff: The new students are introduced to the EAL staff who will be working with them. As well as developing and improving their use of English, we attach great importance to the students' well-being. We work from a room which is usually open to students before school, at break time and lunch time.

Standard EAL Student KS3: 

They attend a provision which reflects the mainstream English curriculum but differentiated with abridged resources, activities, and strategies.

As for the rest of mainstream subjects, ‘New to English’ and ‘Early Acquisition’ students (Band A and B) are withdrawn from Humanities to build up vocabulary and specific subject related terminology (using Flash Academy)
SEN - EAL students: These students work with our High-Level Teaching

Assistant Laura Fernandez to improve literacy and numeracy (also using IDL) as the language barrier prevents them from accessing SEN mainstream provision. This is individually planned (based on each EAL-SEN student needs)

*Both IDL and Flash Academy are used strictly as complimentary tools to learning, never as replacement to mainstream curriculum delivery.

We also collaborate with other specialists to expediate support for our vulnerable EAL students who also have other learning requirements (for example, Dyslexia, or other more complex needs)

Standard EAL Student KS4

At this stage, if we are certain that the student will fail to attain the English GCSE qualification due to the language barrier or any other reason, namely arriving late in Y10 or Y11, lack of educational background, undiagnosed SEN, among other, they will work in small groups in the EAL classroom following the KS4 EAL Curriculum which reflects the national KS4 Curriculum (focusing on English Language and Literature) but with abridged resources. The main goal is for these pupils to return asap to their mainstream lessons.

Once they are back in mainstream English, they will receive in-class support.

EAL students Band C and D who have returned to mainstream lessons, have full access to an ample range of digitalised adapted materials to facilitate their understanding and learning.

To boost both their literacy skills and their knowledge of the contents and abilities needed for their Language & Literature GCSE exams, KS4 EAL pupils attend, at least once a week, our “After school intervention”.

The EAL specialist work with abridged materials on the topics that are being covered in mainstream lessons.

Resources used:

• Graphic novels
• Audibles
• Abridged versions
• Summaries
• Bilingual versions
• Comics
• Booklets
• Revision guides
• Worksheets
• Movies (with subtitles)
• Knowledge organisers
• Writing/speaking programmes

ETC

All these materials are also available online (Microsoft Teams) so that students can access them from home.

Both KS3 & KS4 receive support in lessons (specially in Mathematics and Science) as part of our extended department outreach.

We also offer the ‘EAL break & lunch Club’ in which EAL learners can complete their homework with our assistance.

Buddies: new students are introduced to a buddy in their tutor or year group who look after them while they settle in. The buddies show their new friends around the school and take care of them during breaks and lunchtimes so that they are never alone. The “buddies” are always good role model students and fluent in English.

Pastoral and safeguarding links:

We work alongside Pastoral teams (KS3 and KS4) to ensure that non-English speaking students and parents are fully aware of our BFL policy. We support interpreting in meetings, translating students’ statements, school letters to parents, liaising with parents to tackle emergent behaviour and attendance issues and monitor students’ interactions within as well as outside of school.

We have implemented our EAL Parents Event to keep non-English-speaking parents updated on the most important events and information in our school.

Safeguarding:

We form very close bonds with our students and their families which means that they tend to disclose safeguarding issues to us. As a result, we can intervene when there are complex situations stopping the students from progressing well in school hence ensuring that the students flourish. If needs be, we refer students to Place 2 Be for counselling and support.

We support with admission meetings and, through reducing language misunderstandings, our department helps the school to streamline the enrolment process.

• Extra-curricular activities: It is important for us to encourage our students to take part in a variety of extra-curricular activities. We organise educational visits to museums and other institutions around London.
• Support in Exams: If the student has been in England for less than two years, they may be allowed to have 15% extra time in their exams, and to use a bilingual dictionary (except for English and Humanities). Students can also have access to a supported small room rather than sit in the main exam hall.