Overview
The Council can help schools
- Value and celebrate diversity
- Ensure inclusion and access for pupils who don’t use English as their first language
- Ensure staff have access to in-service training
- Provide effective learning opportunities for EAL pupils
- Value, maintain and develop the home languages of EAL pupils
- Review EAL pupil progress, highlighting those pupils at risk of underachievement or in need of further assessment to identify their special educational needs
Somerset schools and academies can access Somerset’s own English as an additional language service to support pupils and families.
The Department for Education has produced a publication called ‘Developing quality tuition: effective practice in schools – English as an additional language‘
‘Welcome to Somerset’ is a resource for parents of children with English as an additional language. Please visit www.pre-school.org.uk/somerset – find ‘Our services’ in the right hand menu and then find ‘EAL – Welcome to Somerset’ to download the information.
The website includes a film clip which gives brief information about childcare options in Somerset, in English and 10 other languages. There is also a pack of information that early years providers can share with parents and carers whose first language is not English.
NHS Choices has information about resources for people who use languages other than English.