Supporting pupils with EAL
The Key for School Leaders
Pupils with EAL: learning through performing arts
Artis is a social business that delivers the curriculum
through the performing arts. We visited Harris Primary
Academy in Kenley to see how it uses trained ‘Artis
specialists’ to deliver sessions to pupils in years 1 to 6. The s chool’s head of academy, Alison Morris, told us that
these performing arts sessions have helped pupils with
EAL to understand vocabulary. This has improved their
creative writing and reading comprehension.
One of the school’s Artis specialists explained that
performing arts sessions are often designed to
consolidate pupils’ learning from other subjects. (The mention of Artis here does not constitute an
endorsement on the part of The Key.)
One session we observed was planned in response to
pupils struggling to understand emotive words in a
literacy lesson. Pupils were asked to express these words
through dance and drama to improve their understanding.
Resources for different genres and
curriculum subjects
The British Council's EAL Nexus pages also link
to resources to support pupils with EAL in different
curriculum subjects, and with different genres of
writing. They focus on aspects such as:
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Persuasive writing
Discussion writing
Writing explanations
Writing recounts
Links on our website
• Home, Harris Primary Academy Kenley
• Home, Artis
It says that teaching pupils to evaluate their own
writing by referring to a set of criteria can help
them to think about the strategies they are using
and make changes as needed.
It adds that peer evaluation, where pupils discuss
their work with a partner, can develop pupils'
critical thinking and evaluative skills.
Link on our website
The art of teaching writing skills, EAL
Teaching Strategies
The teaching notes for each set of resources
identify the resources that are required and the
level the session is aimed at.
Find more on our website
Link on our website This resource with links to further reading and examples of school
Writing resources, EAL Nexus –
British Council policies, is available on www.thekeysupport.com/sl. Members of
The Key for School Leaders can find the article quickly by entering
‘Improving the writing of pupils with EAL’ into the website search tool.
Assessing pupils' writing
Improving the writing of pupils with EAL |
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The EAL Teaching Strategies website was
developed by an EAL consultant. A section on
helping EAL learners to improve their writing has
advice on assessment and feedback.
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