St Martin's CE Primary School pupils come from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. English as an Additional Language (EAL) refers to any student learning and using English as an additional or second language.

‘A pupil’s first language is any language other than English that a child was exposed to during early development and continues to be exposed to in the home or community.’

If a child has been exposed to a language other than English, it is important for us to know, regardless of how well they now speak English, so that we can do our best to support them throughout their time at school. 

We recognise that a pupil's ability to thrive is linked to an inclusive environment where they feel valued and confident. As with other groups of learners, our teachers adapt their lessons to make sure that all learners can access the learning provided. They do this by involving learners in activities where the language is challenging but appropriate to their abilities and interests. 

Parent information

 If you are a parent of an EAL learner and would like any advice or support, please contact our EAL lead, 

Mrs Abbott, sabbott@stmartins.dsat.org.uk. 

To view our EAL policy, please click here. 

Useful information and resources 

• Guidance for parents of children who are EAL learners: Guidance-for-Parents-FV-English Bell foundation.pdf
• About the English Education System: Primary Schools: Guide-for-parents-Primary-Schools-FV-English Bell foundation.pdf 
• About the English Education System: Secondary Schools: Guide-for-parents-Secondary-Schools-FV-English Bell foundation.pdf 
• Keeping Safe Online in other languages for our EAL families Information and advice from childnet for parents and carers on keeping young people safe online in the following languages: English, Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese and Welsh.

All above documents can be downloaded in a range of languages (including Arabic, Romanian, Polish and Ukrainian) here: https://www.bell-foundation.org.uk/eal-programme/guidance/parental-involvement/