Valentines High School in Redbridge has over 69 per cent of its students with EAL. It is a richly diverse school, 78 per cent of students are from ethnic minorities and there are over 50 languages spoken by the pupils.
In this programme we see how mainstream English teachers work in partnership with EAL specialists to include early stage English learners in lessons.
The focus is on a lesson which looks at assessment, evaluation of student levels and progress monitoring. The lesson also includes a range of strategies:
- Pairing up EAL students with more able students
- Using assessment for learning techniques such as traffic lights and questioning
- Encouraging group discussion to help all students regardless of level
Valentines has high expectations of all pupils regardless of their ability in English. Diversity is celebrated rather than looked upon as a problem to be overcome.
