English as an Additional Language
Children who are still learning English can apply. The admissions team assesses each student’s level and support needs. EAL groups are set by CEFR level, run five to six lessons a week inside the normal timetable, with the aim of helping students study independently in English.
EAL supports students who are developing their English. Admissions can explain the entry requirements and language support for your child’s year group.
How a student joins
The EAL Programme Coordinator interviews and assesses each student individually. The assessment considers the student’s current English level and previous experience of learning the language.
From there a student joins a group at their own level, from A1 to B1+ on the CEFR scale. Skilled instructors take five to six lessons a week with each group, generally no larger than eight, allowing teachers to work with students individually.
B2 is the level at which a student can take the whole IAS curriculum without support. The programme works towards that level of independence.
What is actually taught
Academic English, not conversational English. Students practise reading, writing, listening and speaking for their school subjects, including following explanations and taking part in discussions.
Grammar and vocabulary are taught explicitly and directly, alongside cultural references that students encounter in lessons.
The instructors also work as advocates. They share tools and advice with subject teachers, so that support does not stop at the EAL door and a science teacher knows what this particular student can and cannot yet read.
EAL and other language classes
Because the support is intensive, students in EAL step back from other language classes while they build their English. In Middle School that means Polish as a second language, French and German wait. This gives students more time to concentrate on their English.
Cost
EAL is a paid programme for students in Grades 6 to 10 who enter IAS below B1 on the CEFR scale, and it sits outside tuition. The office holds the current fee. If a child joins later in the year, or leaves the programme because they no longer need it, the invoice is adjusted and you are charged only for lessons held. The fees page sets out what tuition does and does not include.
Nearby
Related pages.
New to English
Ask about an EAL assessment.
Talk to us about an assessment and how a child settles in. We reply within one working day.
