The English Academy at Wellington College

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Introduction
A large number of students attending Wellington College from August 2011 will have English as their second or possibly even third or fourth language. The English Academy is designed to meet the needs of these students in reaching the highest standards of educational achievement by fostering a love of the English language, both orally and in the written word, while also providing professional expertise for our teachers and the wider College community. 

Entry into Wellington entails an English test for every student and this will be used to determine the level of support required for students with English as an Additional Language (EAL). The support on offer will take various forms, all of which will fall under the umbrella of the English Academy. All the teachers in the English Academy will be fully-qualified specialist teachers of EAL. The initial objective for all our Academy students will be to acquire sufficient language skills to enable them to cope with the practical aspects of school life and to function confidently both academically and socially. Once basic structure and vocabulary are in place, our next aim will be to assist students in acquiring the necessary spoken and written language to study effectively in the mainstream academic programme. Through small classes and individual support, students throughout the College will develop their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

The English Academy in the Junior School
The English Academy will support students, who need additional help in their English skills, from Year 1 upwards. This involves an Immersion Programme,where students will receive extra EAL lessons each week, during the time when their peers are involved in English classes. Students joining the Immersion Programme will be at an early stage of learning English. They will receive a minimum of five withdrawal lessons per week and are also likely to be withdrawn from other curriculum lessons. Their priority is to access the Wellington Curriculum through English, and they can join the mainstream English classes once they have sufficient skills in the use of the language. The intention is to avoid withdrawing students from classes, such as Art, Music and PE, as these are subjects they can access with limited English, and it is vital we maintain a balance between theoretical and practical lessons. The overall aim of the Immersion Programme is to assist the student in gaining the language necessary to function in and outside the classroom. As students become increasingly confident and competent in English, the amount of withdrawal from mainstream lessons is correspondingly reduced.

When students are withdrawn for EAL classes in the English Academy, they will be taught either individually or in small groups, with a maximum of six children, by specialist teachers in dedicated classrooms. The groups are normally taken from across the age range, all the students possessing a similar ability in English. During these lessons, children will be taught the basic skills in English. They may also work on topics that are being covered in mainstream classes at a differentiated level suiting their needs. To foster enthusiasm for learning English and to help students gain confidence, teachers will use a range of practical resources in the classroom, including multi-media, ICT, games, flashcards and role play amongst others.

English Academy teachers will also go into mainstream classes to support individual students in their class work. For some, as they near the end of their course, this might be the only form of support. In the provision of all their support, the English Academy staff will work closely with classroom teachers, being fully involved in the planning process, so ensuring that the requirements of each individual student are identified and met.

The English Academy in the Senior School
Specialist English Academy teachers will have responsibility for all EAL teaching in the Senior School, and will monitor the progress of all students to ensure they receive appropriate support and guidance. The challenge is considerable for English Academy students in these age groups: mastering the intricacies of the English language, written and spoken, to a level where they can tackle with confidence the demands of the various public examinations. The experience and skill of our teachers will ensure that this is a realistic aim for all our students.

The College plansto offer English as a Second Language (ESL) at IGCSE and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) course. All EAL students must take an English language qualification at the IGCSE/GCSE stage, though it could be something other than an IGCSE/GCSE, a decision which will be made on an individual basis. All of these courses will be of great benefit to our students.

Assessment and Reporting in the English Academy
There will be individual assessment, both formal and informal, taking place for every student in every lesson. Day-to-day assessment is informal and will take the form of teacher notes and marking, all with direct feedback to the students. The English Academy team will follow the same marking scheme as the rest of the College, so students can experience consistency and easily understand how they are progressing.

The English Academy teachers will write termly reports for each student. In the report parents will find comments on each area of learning covered. For a beginner learner, this will include a comment on reading, writing, speaking and listening. As the student’s English language develops, the focus in lessons may be shifted to specific skills. In this case only the skills being taught will be reported on. After reports have been sent home, parents will be invited to come to meetings with Academy staff. Parents will also be welcome to arrange meetings to discuss their child’s progress at any time during the College year.

Parental Support for the English Academy
Coming to school with limited English can be a daunting experience for many new students, but there is no better environment than the College to gain confidence in the use of the English language. In our partnership with parents, we believe that parents can support their child(ren) in a number of ways at home. Learners of additional languages generally develop receptive skills, such as listening, first. So, by speaking English at home, you will help model speech and vocabulary. Even if your child initially cannot answer you in English, they will still be absorbing the new language.

The College will offer advice on a range of ways for parents from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds to support their child at home, and to ensure effective two-way communication. More generally, the College will also have curriculum evenings, which will provide parents with opportunities to find out more about, and indeed experience, our approach to literacy, from the learning of phonics at Key Stage 1 upwards throughout the school. Parents will be encouraged to attend such sessions as an important means to understanding the Wellington approach to learning and teaching as a whole.

Conclusion
We very much look forward to communicating further on the English Academy and the other exciting developments at Wellington College in forthcoming newsletters and at the Open Days on Saturday, 15th and Sunday, 16th January 2011. There is considerable research evidence that bilingualism and multilingualism confers intellectual advantages on students. It is these advantages which we intend exploiting to the full at Wellington. I am sure you will agree that the English Academy is a massive first step in this direction, being a first for Tianjin and indeed China.

Mr. David Cook (Headmaster)
Mr. John Zermani (Head of the Junior School)