Learners using English as an additional language can often arrive later in secondary education – especially refugees and asylum-seekers. Sarah Moodie discusses how schools, and teachers, can welcome and support these vulnerable young people
Late arrivals: Schools can do a number of things to support students with English as an additional language who arrive in year 9 or later - Adobe Stock

Education is a right according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). However, for many learners using English as an additional language (EAL) who arrive later in the UK’s education system, it probably doesn’t feel that way.

Many have been waiting for a school place for some time and may have been previously rejected by other schools (Ashlee, 2024).

For any student, starting in a new school in or after year 9 is daunting. Schools are busy, noisy places. Friendship groups are established and may appear impenetrable. The curriculum is fast-moving, building on prior learning and teachers are under pressure to deliver results.

Add to that an unfamiliarity with the English language and education system, and, in some cases, the trauma of having had to flee your homeland, and the difficulties become compounded.

Last year, Refugee Education UK along with The Bell Foundation published research on access to education for late arrivals – young people, aged 13 to 19, who have been forcibly displaced from their homes (due to war, conflict, persecution, trafficking and persecution) and who arrive in the UK late in the education system (Ashlee, 2024). The study considers the experiences of young refugees and asylum-seekers navigating the complexities of UK schools and colleges.

This article revisits this subject with an emphasis on the role of the subject teacher in supporting these students.

 

Barriers

The research found that late arrivals seeking a school place face barriers which become increasingly impassable, including:

  • Schools unwilling to accept late arrivals.
  • A lack of available places in schools in some areas.
  • Insecure accommodation, with families seeking asylum often relocated a long distance away and at short notice.
  • The complexities of placing in-year arrivals at key stage 4 because GCSE courses are already underway.

Newly arrived learners are often out-of-school for prolonged periods of time. Those who arrive after the start of year 11 in particular are often left in a “no man’s land” waiting to be able to access college at the age of 16.

According to another research report, this time published by the Education Policy Institute (Hutchinson & Reader, 2021), unaccompanied asylum-seekers face the biggest challenges, with higher rates of exclusions, greater absenteeism, and lower attainment rates (these learners lag a shocking 37 months behind their peers on average).

 

Recommendations

Of course, schools have a legal obligation to ensure all learners have access to education, no matter when they arrive, so it is worth considering how your school fulfils this.

The Refugee Education UK report highlights two examples of secondary schools with good practice (p38).

In a policy brief published alongside its research study (available via the same link – see further information), Refugee Education UK suggests that newly arrived EAL learners should receive “integrated, supported education in a mainstream environment”.

This should include structured orientation programmes, contextualised English language provision, and appropriate pathways to progression to work or further study.

So how does this translate for schools and teachers on the ground and what do these learners, and their teachers, need to succeed?

Newly arrived EAL learners need:

  • To feel welcome, and to know that they have a valuable contribution to make and opportunities for success.
  • To find their way in a new institution, local community and country, which may differ greatly from their previous experiences.
  • To develop the English language skills to thrive both socially and academically in their new environment.
  • To see the path to achieving their career/study aspirations.

Teachers of these learners need:

 

A whole-school approach 

Schools need a co-ordinated approach with the senior leadership team, teaching, pastoral and support staff working together. To achieve a successful transition for learner and teachers, it is important that the ground is prepared prior to the learner starting in school and that appropriate support is provided when they do. A good model in order to achieve this is the PAWS framework.

 

 

Prepare

This refers to what to set in place prior to admission. The school needs to gather as much information about the learner as possible, including their previous education, languages spoken and written, academic or other strengths, and career aspirations.

This begins the holistic and detailed assessment which will inform support for the learner. The person responsible for EAL in school should coordinate this. Make sure you know where to find it.

Also, become familiar with your school’s EAL or languages policy so that you understand procedures and responsibilities.

 

Alert

This refers to communicating in the days before the learner starts and includes:

  • Key information about the learner must be shared with all relevant staff, so if you are receiving a late arrival into one of your classes make sure you have access to this student’s information.
  • Organise buddies: The EAL lead, probably in conjunction with form tutors, should recruit a group of sympathetic students to look after the new arrival. Know who they are.
  • Plan initial support, perhaps in conjunction with the EAL lead. Will the learner be preparing for GCSEs or an alternative exam? How can you make your classes accessible and useful to them? See later for some suggestions.

 

Welcome

This refers to the first days after admission. In order to have opportunities for success in school, learners using EAL need to feel safe and welcome from day one, and to feel both socially and academically included.

The learner should receive a warm welcome from both staff and peers. A good start is ensuring you and your students know how to pronounce the learner’s name correctly.

In your class, consider how to group your new learners. Seating them with supportive peers who are kind, helpful and good role models will help them find their feet. It is even better if they can sit with people who share their home language.

Make sure the new learner knows that their home language is welcomed and encouraged. After all, as well as being a key part of their identity, it is their greatest learning resource. Encourage them to make full use of it.

If your lesson precedes break or lunch, check the learner knows what the routines are and has someone friendly to hang out with. If they are moving to another lesson, check that they understand their timetable and ask someone to show them the way.

And if you run an extra-curricular activity, invite the learner to attend. If you know of one which matches their interests, signpost it and, if possible, introduce them to someone who already attends and will accompany them.

 

Support

This refers to the first weeks in school. Provision for each learner should be informed by effective and holistic assessment, overseen by the person responsible for EAL and should begin with gathering information.

As a mainstream teacher, accessing this information will help you plan your classes, and you will also be able to contribute to it by observing the learner in your lessons and sharing examples of written work.

This should include (with links to useful resources from The Bell Foundation):

  • A proficiency in English assessment which covers listening, speaking, reading and viewing, and writing.
  • A home language assessment wherever possible – to include all languages the learners use but focusing particularly on the language through which they have previously been educated.
  • A maths assessment (without too much English around the sums), to gain an idea of numeracy levels and aptitude.
  • A rounded picture, added to over time, of previous education, exposure to English and other languages, alongside academic, creative and/or sporting strengths and interests.
  • Aspirations for the future, to help teachers guide the learner towards the right choices for future study.
  • Any known SEND. Remember, EAL is not an SEND, but learners with EAL may also have special needs that you will need to consider when planning support.

Depending on previous education, English language proficiency and career aspirations, provision might also include:

  • Induction for new students: Usually devised and delivered by those responsible for EAL, these are time-limited interventions to enable the new arrival to orientate themselves in a new school.
  • A reduced timetable of GCSE subjects, alongside some bespoke tuition in spare slots (e.g. English language tuition, extra tuition for GCSEs or alternative qualifications).
  • Home language GCSE, if available and appropriate.
  • Day release from college (if local college has suitable 14-plus provision).
  • Charity sector provision and/or supplementary schools.
  • Some newly arrived learners may lack literacy in the Roman script (or any script) and may need age-appropriate phonics interventions.
  • Support in making choices for post-16 education.

In mainstream classes, support should be through an integrated focus on content and language, as learners with EAL are in the unique position of learning English and the curriculum content simultaneously.

Expectations must remain high, and support should seek to amplify rather than simplify content. Support might include:

  • Careful groupings to maximise opportunities to talk and practise subject-related language.
  • Use of the home or preferred language for subject learning. This could include translation technology and dictionaries, being encouraged to discuss curriculum content with other speakers of the home language, taking notes in the preferred language, and/or enabling subtitles on videos. Show an interest and encourage learners to make links between English and their home language(s). Make it clear that multilingualism is an asset. As the learner becomes more confident, encourage them to move naturally between their home language and English, using both as tools for learning while developing the comprehension and academic writing skills to take exams in English.
  • Use of visuals and dual-coding.
  • Scaffolded reading/writing tasks such as gap fill, sequencing or sentence stem activities.
  • Use of graphic organisers to map ideas and structure planning. These are good for all learners, not only those with EAL, and make a great base for collaborative activities.
  • Targeted oracy and questioning strategies.

Support can continue after school through initiatives like conversation clubs, drama, homework clubs with EAL staff in attendance, and supplementary schooling for community languages.

 

Final thoughts

While arriving later in secondary school from abroad presents a challenge both for the learners and teachers, much can be achieved with a welcoming whole-school ethos and an active inclusion policy.

As teachers, it is important not to feel guilty or helpless even if your EAL learners might struggle to pass GCSE. Remember, welcoming a new arrival into your class will open up the world of education and English language for that learner – and will also give other students in your classroom a broadened perspective.

 

Further information & resources