English as an Additional Language (EAL)
EAL Intent:
The Piggott School is committed to being an inclusive environment where we offer EAL children the very highest quality of education. We reflect and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and cultures that make up our school community and support families who come to live in our local area.
Research and Pedagogy to inform best practice:
All teachers and staff support EAL students through ‘quality first inclusive teaching’. We also have a dedicated team who oversee the academic and enrichment provision for EAL students:
David Bibby – Deputy Headteacher
Sarah Parsons – Assistant SENDCo
Aditi Shah – EAL Coordinator and LSA
Ben Lau- EAL Club Co-leader and Associate Teacher
Lana Theodoulou - Reading Mentor
We work closely with a range of providers and organisations to develop our provision for EAL students, these include:
EAL Programme:
The provision for EAL students varies year on year in response to the profile and needs of students. Below is a summary of the provision which coincides with quality first inclusive teaching.
- Use of Flash Academy for EAL students
- Wokingham LA led interventions for students, ‘Racing to English’
- Parental support information when EAL families join us and meet the pastoral team
- Staff CPD from EAL team within the Piggott School and from Wokingham LA and Wokingham Standards and Learning Alliance
- Sixth Form mentors for EAL students (TEFL trained)
- 1:1 support in lessons as appropriate from our EAL LSA
- Small group work as appropriate from our EAL LSA
- EAL after school club running 4 days a week
- Extra reading sessions provided by the library team
Impact of EAL Provision:
Academic attainment and progress: Our 2023 data shows that the Key Stage 4 Progress 8 score for EAL students was +0.75, significantly above national average. For EAL-identified students in Year 13, 83% gained grades A*-C and 33% A*-A.
All EAL students at the school have same school experience as their peers. For example, careers provision and access to co-curricular offers.
Over 15 EAL students a week attend EAL club.
If you have any questions regarding our EAL provision at the Piggott School, please contact: Sarah Parsons - Acting Assistant Headteacher - parsonss@piggottschool.org
Homework Club
Homework Club - Refugee Support Group
Since 2012 The Refugee Support Group have run a Homework Club for refugee children in partnership with The Abbey School and Kendrick School.. The Homework Clubs give children from refugee families the opportunity to receive one-to-one support with their school work, boosting their confidence and enabling them to integrate with their classmates more.