Topic outline

  • General

    Want to know about how best to group, set or stream EAL learners and why? Need to understand the drawbacks of deceleration and the rare occasions when it might make sense once discussed with EMTAS? Want to know what to think about before implementing the BELL Foundation EAL Assessment Framework? Confused about why using standardised tests with new to English new arrivals is a bad idea? Need more information about the interface between EAL and SEND? Want more information on how to safeguard peer buddies? This one-stop course should have everything you need to know in clearly laid out position statements from our team of Specialist Teacher Advisors.

  • Centre Assessment Grades for EAL learners - GCSEs summer 2020

    Schools will be aware of the requirement for them to submit to exam boards Centre Assessment Grades for all students who were due to sit GCSE exams in the summer of 2020.

    Ofqual released guidance to schools on this, following which the Equality and Human Rights Commission published a response.

    With this in mind, the EMTAS Specialist Teacher Advisor team has produced a Position Statement in relation to how the guidance might be applied to students for whom English is an Additional Language to give a GCSE Grade that is a fair reflection of the likely outcome had the student continued their education at school through to the exam. 

    The Position Statement includes factors to take into account when making judgements about individual students, particularly those with secure first language skills, prior education in country of origin and who arrived in the UK more recently (into Key Stage 3 or 4).  For such students, progress in acquisition of English would have been rapid and, in the 2 to 3 months they have missed, might translate into a grade or two at GCSE in some subjects.

    It also covers actions schools can take, including an analysis of data by ethnicity and by EAL status, before submitting grades to exam boards.

    Schools can contact EMTAS with any questions and/or for further advice and guidance about this matter.

    Download the EMTAS Position Statement by clicking on the document below.


  • Screening and standardised testing for learners of EAL

    The use of screening tests and standardised assessments with pupils who are in the early stages of acquiring EAL is unlikely to yield reliable results, either when the tests are conducted in English or when they are translated into first language. Find out why from the link below.

  • EMTAS guidance on decelerating learners of EAL

    Decisions regarding in which year group to place a child are very important. As a general rule, it is recommended that children are placed in the chronological year group which reflects their age and the support available to allow them to engage with the learning within that placement.

    All decisions around deceleration should be made with great care and with the understanding of all concerned parties of the possible impact of deceleration, which may differ from what happens in other areas of the UK and other countries.


  • Safeguarding pupil interpreters

    Whether or not they are running our Young Interpreter Scheme, most Hampshire schools will have had to rely on a child to interpret for another child or parent. This is true of schools with high numbers of learners with English as an Additional Language and of schools where these learners are more isolated. The link below looks at the research and offers clear guidance around this issue.

  • Special Education Needs/Disabilities (SEND) or bilingual?

    Lack of English should not be equated with a lack of knowledge, skill or understanding. Bilingual learners are no more likely to have special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) than any other pupil. So what factors should we consider before making firm decisions about practice and provision? Find more information in the link below.

  • The BELL Foundation EAL Assessment Framework

    The BELL Foundation EAL Assessment Framework is useful for formative and summative assessment purposes, and for next-steps target-setting for EAL pupils. Read our position statement to find out about the key features and main considerations for the implementation of this EAL assessment framework.