Some of the children coming to our bilingual school have little or sometimes even zero knowledge of English. In these cases, as at the Prague British School, we also teach English in addition to standard English lessons in the “EAL” (English as an Additional Language) programme. These lessons provide pupils with skills enabling them to communicate efficiently in English as soon as possible. For these purposes we secure quality support related to various levels of fluency.
In our Primary School, children with limited English are assessed by their English teacher and EAL teacher (if different); however, always in liaison with the class teacher and parents. The main objective is to determine the level of support that a pupil will need.
Pupils take regular tests in English, referred to as “Assessments”, thanks to which teachers but also parents have an opportunity to determine the progress made by a pupil in his or her education.
All the children who are assessed as needing extra EAL support at our school study English either individually or in small groups in a specialist EAL room or are given support within their classroom in lessons taught in English. The type and amount of support is dependent on the level of English of the child in comparison to their age. The result of a decision is always discussed with the class teacher, English (EAL) teacher and the child’s parents.
A detailed plan of EAL support is put together by the English (EAL) teacher and the class teacher. The plan includes regular meetings with parents, especially at the end of every six months, and written reports are available three times a year as a part of the school report.