Diversity and Language

1
Diversity and Language

• Kate Daly
• English as an Additional Language Consultant
• Department for Education and Skills

2
The current position

• Data collection provides strong evidence base
• Research commissioned
• Development of a draft strategy March 2003
  Aiming High
• Wide ranging consultation
• Strategy announced October 2003

3
Context increasing diversity

• 1 in 8 pupils from minority ethnic communities
• Widening range of countries of origin
• 686,200 bilingual pupils 10.05 of school
  population (PLASC 2004)
• At least 200 languages spoken

4
Research

• Making a difference in multicultural schools
  (Blair and Bourne 1999)
• Language Needs or Special Needs? (Cline and
  Shamsi 2000)
• Minority Ethnic Pupils in Mainly White Schools
  (Cline 2002)
• The education of asylum-seeker pupils (OFSTED
  2003 )
• More Advanced Learners of English as an
  Additional Language in secondary schools and
  colleges (OFSTED 2003)
• More Advanced Learners of English as an
  Additional Language at Key Stage 2 (DfES 2004)
• Managing the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant
  Good Practice in primary and secondary schools
  (OFSTED 2004)

5
The Aiming High Strategy

• Strengthening mainstream programmes
• Targeted support to those most at risk of
  underachieving
• Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant - 160 million
  2004/5

6
The Aiming High Strategy - Mainstream

• Leadership
• Teacher training
• Early Years and Childcare (ages 0- 5years)
• Parental Engagement
• Primary strategy (ages 5-11years)
• Secondary strategy (ages 11-16 years)

7
The Aiming High Strategy - Accountability

• OFSTED Inspection Framework for schools and LEAs
• Publishing achievement data by ethnicity
• Thematic inspections

8
Focused work to support bilingual learners -
projects

• Primary National Strategy EAL training programme
• Secondary EAL guidance and training materials
• GSCE examination project (years 10 11)
• EAL specialist qualification for teachers and
  teaching assistants
• Advanced Skills Teachers EAL project

9
Focused work to support bilingual learners -
guidance

• Guidance on role of schools and LEAs
• Guidance on EAL assessment
• Secondary good practice video
• Teaching Assistant and Support Staff EAL training
  packs

10
Key messages on language and diversity

• Bilingualism is an asset
• Pupils first languages should be valued and their
  use promoted
• The needs of bilingual pupils are best met
  through a coordinated, whole-school approach
• Qualified, experienced teachers of EAL play a key
  operational role in organising and delivering
  support to pupils
• Assessment for bilingual pupils should be based
  on national curriculum measures

11
Diversity and Language

• Kate Daly
• English as an Additional Language Consultant
• Department for Education and Skills