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New Arrivals Excellence Programme Case Studies 1
Case studywww.standards.dcsf.gov.uk
Case study 13
School: A large urban secondary school in outer London
Focus: Engaging subject specialists in induction course developmentBackground
This school is a large (1430), mixed, 11–18 comprehensive school in an outer London borough. Its intake is diverse: 78% of students come from minority ethnic backgrounds, with 53% speaking English as an additional language (EAL). Although a total of 58 languages are spoken by students, only seven of the languages have more than 30 speakers: English, Turkish, Somali, Greek, Bengali, Kurdish and Albanian. There is higher than average mobility: 4.5% of pupils are new migrants. The percentage of pupils on free school meals is well above average.
In 2005, the school appointed a new ethnic minority achievement (EMA) coordinator (her title was subsequently to become Head of Faculty Curriculum Access). Her background was in special educational needs (SEN) but she was very interested in EAL issues and was, at the time, completing an MA in educational inclusion of which EAL was one element. As she began to reorganise EAL provision in the school, she recognised the necessity of developing an induction course to meet the needs of the significant numbers of new arrivals. She was determined that the new induction programme would be as inclusive as possible. For her this meant a course that was:
time limited (keeping withdrawal from mainstream classes to a minimum);•
curriculum linked (with a focus on language and subject content to speed up •curriculum access);
inclusive of mainstream staff (so that pupils would continue to benefit from appropriate •support once back full-time in mainstream classes).
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What was done?
An EAL consultant, who specialised in developing induction courses tailored to the needs of individual schools, was invited to work with the EMA team and key subject specialists. The induction course would be offered for two hours a week (one double lesson) for a term. It would operate as a rolling programme so that new arrivals could join it at any stage and complete the 12 sessions.
The first task for the EMA coordinator was to contact the subject leaders of the various curriculum areas: mathematics; English; science; history; art; information technology; design and technology; geography; physical education (PE); music; personal, social and health education; and citizenship. They were asked to identify a unit from the department’s scheme of work that was felt to be central to the subject. This unit would then be further developed by the EMA coordinator and consultant into an exemplar lesson introducing key subject - specific vocabulary and concepts for pupils new to English. Heads of faculties were invited to be part of this process, if time tabling allowed. They were also invited to observe the lesson and review outcomes. Many of the key staff took advantage of this offer, some even joining in the teaching of the lesson when their own subject was being taught. An important element of the lessons was the inclusion of key procedures and activities associated with the different subject areas (for example, investigation in science, the construction of time lines in history) to familiarise new students with subject routines.
In the taster art lesson the students made Mexican masks, exploring concepts of texture, •colour and mood. The outcomes, which the Head of Art came to review at the start of the following lesson, were striking. She was delighted with the quality of the masks, commenting positively on each one and providing valuable critical feedback. The students beamed with pride at her recognition of their efforts.
The focus of the science lesson was ‘change of state’ and included a carefully structured •investigation.
One of the two English lessons, built around the reading of a book specially written for •older pupils new to English, also addressed the issues of formal/informal writing and punctuation – requested by the English faculty.
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The aims of the music lesson were to: identify sections of an orchestra and some of the •instruments; recognise and name them; identify them by their sound; recognise rhythms and clap the beat; recognise the rhythm in poetry and create their own; and connect rhythms with musical notes.
The PE taster lesson was in two parts. In the first hour (classroom-based), the focus was •‘getting fit’. Key vocabulary had been identified as strength, stamina and suppleness, in addition to parts of the body. Pupils were invited to assess their own fitness by carrying out a number of tasks, such as running on the spot and checking their heart rate. Later, in pairs, they completed a worksheet in which they had to give advice on how to build up fitness for a 60 mile walk. The second part of the lesson, taken in the gym by the PE teacher (also a member of the senior management in the school), consisted of a basketball lesson with the following aims: perform the skill of dribbling with the dominant hand; perform the three passes, chest, bounce and overhead, using the correct terminology; participate in a small-sided game. The students participated in the lesson with great enthusiasm, energy and commitment. The PE teacher noted with interest that one of the boys demonstrated considerable knowledge and skill in the game, calling out complex passes that she had not introduced.
These brief lesson descriptions can only hint at the diversity of subject matter and range of activities developed for the new induction course. However, all the lessons were planned with the following features in mind:
High expectations: complex language used and meaning elicited (lesson objectives and 1. learning outcomes made explicit and matched with appropriate activities).
Key words displayed and used actively (checked, referred to, revisited).2.
Engagement of the children in their own learning through eliciting prior knowledge and a 3. relevant choice of learning materials wherever possible.
Visual support: objects, pictures, photos and video to prompt knowledge and inference.4.
Texts made accessible by focusing attention on key words/issues (in textbooks use is 5. made of contents, index, glossary and layout).
Skimming and scanning techniques taught for gathering relevant information.6.
Constant checking for understanding, including during plenary (especially objectives/key 7. words).
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Outcomes
Apart from pupils’ evident enjoyment, growing confidence and linguistic proficiency, this curriculum-linked induction programme had a number of positive outcomes as it:
inducted students into aspects of school life;•
supported their access to the curriculum;•
introduced them to a variety of teaching and learning styles, with appropriate cognitive •challenge;
drew on the students’ prior knowledge, educational experiences and linguistic •competence;
provided opportunities for in-depth assessment;•
provided maximum opportunities for speaking and listening, but also ensured all four •language skills were used.
But, most significantly, for no student will become proficient in a new language in just 12 sessions, the involvement of key subject staff was an excellent strategy for familiarising mainstream teachers with the teaching and learning strategies needed, if early-stage learners of English are to access the curriculum while developing their proficiency in English. Without the involvement of all staff in school, developing bilingual learners are unlikely to achieve their full potential.
The experience of developing this course with the engagement and support of key subject specialists was very positive. In recognition of this, the headteacher invited those responsible for developing the course to present their work at two twilight in-service training sessions so that every teacher in the school could see what had been achieved. This was an opportunity to share and showcase the exciting materials that had been developed collaboratively by EAL and subject specialists. The sessions, entitled ‘Practical teaching strategies for pupils new to English’, exemplified the ways in which staff had crafted lessons to take account of the needs of pupils with EAL, for example:
differentiation•
use of visuals•
getting students to ask questions•
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engaging students through practical activities•
focusing on the understanding of key vocabulary•
modelling and scaffolding of the learning.•
As a result of this work an understanding of how bilingual learners can be supported through the curriculum is now much more widespread in the school. Each subject area has exemplar teaching materials on which it can build.
Feedback
An EAL consultant who evaluated the course listed its strengths as follows: its curriculum focus; its high cognitive challenge; its use of effective EAL pedagogy; its impact on mainstream staff. The report continued:
‘The real strength of the programme is the debate that it stimulates between EAL specialists and mainstream subject staff. Its potential impact on classroom practice is a key component of the course. The support that senior managers have given the course has also been an important element in its success. The structure set up for disseminating the work across departments is excellent. Crucial to the success of this work have been the skill, commitment and enthusiasm of the EMA team, the positive response of mainstream staff and the support of external consultants, including the local authority.’
Another school’s experience of developing an induction course using the same model can be seen on the Primary and Secondary National Strategies New Arrivals Excellence Programme DVD school No 4, ‘Large urban secondary school in London’, DfES 004272007-BKT-EN.
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