English as an Additional Language
At Dorchester we feel very proud that we are all so different and unique. With around 40% of our pupils learning English as an Additional Language (EAL), we recognise the importance of prioritising a successful induction for our EAL pupils and their families. All pupils need to feel safe, valued and accepted in order to learn. We further value the importance of bilingualism and encourage children to use and celebrate their home language.
Supporting your child at school:
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FlashAcademy - this is a learning platform for children needing extra support with accessing English within the curriculum.
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Young Interpreters scheme - providing new EAL pupils with buddies who have completed training on supporting new arrivals.
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Language Ambassadors - to encourage children to embrace and promote their languages and bilingual skills.
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Teaching strategies - visuals, translated resources, bilingual dictionaries, chrome books, role modelling, group work etc.
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New starter induction process
Ideas to support your child's learning at home:
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Access the home learning on the website in the ‘Peek of the Week”
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Encourage your child to use a bilingual dictionary to translate words - create their own dictionary of new words learnt.
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Encourage your child to ask their teachers if they do not understand something
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Read with your child at home. You can do this in your first language and talk about the pictures and what is happening in the story. These websites have stories in lots of different languages, and they are free: