DEPARTMENTAL STAFF

Sam Terry – Principal Teaching Assistant of English and Literacy

Corinna Board – Teaching Assistant of EAL and Literacy

Jamshid Shahin –Teaching Assistant of EAL and Literacy

THE DEPARTMENT

Cheney has over 400 bilingual students and though not all students require additional help with their English language, a large number are supported by the EAL Department.
Bilingual students at Cheney come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Many are from the local ethnic minority community. Others are children of parents at university in Oxford. Some are asylum seekers or refugees. Others are here short-term, accompanying parents who are contracted to one of the nearby hospitals. Bilingual students benefit from Cheney’s unique EAL support. The international aspect of the school’s community makes it an exciting environment for all students.

ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE AT CHENEY

The EAL department provides language support in a number of ways.

As interventions –  in groups at various times during the week dependent on their fluency levels;  this support has been particularly effective for new comers who arrive at Cheney with very little English, as they are able to work with students on a similar level. This group helps students to build their social skills and confidence in speaking with others, whilst expanding their vocabulary.

In Class Support – EAL Staff liaise with subject teachers to support bilingual students across the curriculum. Support is given using differentiated materials/tasks and through translations by bilingual staff. We advise and practice the use of a bilingual dictionary in our sessions, to help them familiarise themselves with how it works and build this independent practice in other lessons.

GCSE Achievements – A number of bilingual students achieved 5 or more higher GCSE grades and are now following AS Level, and BTEC courses. Some bilingual students were able to take language GCSEs and A2s in their in their native tongue. In most cases the success rate has resulted in A and A* grades.

Support will be concentrated in Key Stages 3 and 4, help is also available for the increasing number of bilingual students staying on for Years 12 and 13 and those who transfer into Year 12 from other schools.

A WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH

It is Cheney’s policy to ensure that bilingual students have equality of opportunity in accessing the curriculum. Staff within the department are committed to raising the achievement of bilingual students. To this end, we work in partnership with outside agencies such as: the Connexions Service, Jacari and The Children’s Society, to overcome any barriers to learning that students may present. The school ensures that level of language is not mistaken for level of ability and the EAL department liaises with other departments to place bilingual students in appropriate sets.

Bilingualism is valued highly at Cheney. Students are encouraged to sit GCSE and A levels and in their home language. In some cases these exams can be taken a year or two early.

THE SUCCESS OF CHENEY’S EAL DEPARTMENT LED OFSTED INSPECTORS TO REPORT: “IT IS A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE DEPARTMENT WITH A VISION FOR THE FUTURE”. PROVISION FOR STUDENTS WITH ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE WAS ASSESSED AS “EXCELLENT”.