English as an Additional Language

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The City of Edinburgh English as an Additional Language (EAL) Service works in partnership with schools and other agencies to help them meet the needs of bilingual and minority ethnic learners in ways that are socially and educationally inclusive. The Head Teacher is Luan Porter.

We provide advice, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), EAL teacher expertise, and bilingual support (in Edinburgh's most common minority languages). We aim to help schools make their provision more accessible to, and inclusive of, pupils who are learning through English as an additional language, to improve their learning outcomes and experiences.

The EAL Service also works more widely with schools and other partners to develop and promote inclusive strategies, and to help practitioners recognise and value linguistic and cultural diversity via the implementation of effective race equality practice.

We do this by:

• Offering information and advice about effective teaching and whole school approaches
• Working in classrooms in partnership with school staff to implement teaching strategies that are supportive of the acquisition of language and literacy across learning
• Developing and making available effective resources, where appropriate in translation
• Offering training/CPD opportunities
• Helping to carry out assessments, and to monitor and track progress of bilingual minority ethnic learners
• Providing a range of resources, support and advice to improve parental involvement Providing bilingual support where practical, to pupils in the earliest stages of acquiring English
• Ensuring secondary age pupils have appropriate access to additional EAL classes, and classes which offer qualifications in English for Speakers of Other Languages.
• Helping schools and young people to recognise and challenge racist behaviour
• Liaising with a range of school other staff to help ensure the needs of individual and groups of learners are understood and met.

How we deploy EAL staff

EAL Teachers, Bilingual Support Assistants and Bilingual Nursery Nurses are deployed in response to need, on a regular weekly basis, to schools with significant numbers of bilingual pupils requiring support. Many schools in the City of Edinburgh Children and Families Department therefore have an EAL teacher and/or Bilingual Support Assistant working with them on a weekly basis.

Contact us

To find out more, make a referral, or make contact with the EAL Service and its staff, please contact us directly at Education Services Centre, 154 McDonald Road, Edinburgh EH7 4NN, telephone 0131 469 2890, or e-mail Suzanne.Philip@ea.edin.sch.uk.

The Office is open Monday-Thursday, 8am – 4pm and Friday 8am – 1.30pm