Author: AS

Guidance for Parents/ Carers of Newly Arrived Pupils with English as an Additional Language

About our School:
Some key members of staff:
Head teacher:
Deputy head teacher:
EAL coordinator:
Bilingual support assistants:
Office staff:

Timings of the School Day:

School Starts:
Lunch Time:
End of school:

GOING TO SCHOOL IN ENGLAND
School is free for all children from 5 to 16.
This includes the cost of books and basic stationery.
The school year runs from September to July and is 39 weeks
long.
In Herefordshire, the year is divided into six half terms
The main school holidays are : Christmas — 2 weeks
Easter — 2 weeks
Summer — 6 weeks
There are also one week holidays at: End of October
Mid February
End of May
Holidays outside of these times are not authorised
Most children attend NURSERY SCHOOL : 3-4 years old.
(Nursery places are free for 3-4 year olds)
Then they move on to PRIMARY SCHOOL: 5-11 years old.
There are three education stages at Primary school:
Foundation stage—Nursery, Reception (YR)
Key Stage 1 — Years 1 and 2
Key Stage 2 — Years 3 to 6
SECONDARY SCHOOL is for 11-16 year olds: Years 7-11
In the UK pupils automatically move to the next class at the end of each year regardless of their academic performance or attainment.

For more information about school term dates please speak to the school office or visit the school website:

Compulsory age of starting school in England:
Children reach compulsory school age at the start of the school term following their fifth birthday, which may be in September, January or April. Most children, however, enter primary school before they reach compulsory school age, most commonly in the September following their fourth birthday and thus spend a full year in the reception class.

Important information on school attendance
1. Parents/carers are legally responsible for ensuring that a child of compulsory school age receives a suitable education. Parents must contact the school early on the first day of absence and keep the school informed of any reasons for non-attendance.
2. Children registered at school must by law attend regularly.
Students must attend unless:
a) they are too ill to do so
b) their absence lists any other of the school's discretionary reasons such as compassionate leave of absence, religious observance or where special educational requirements have been made.
Parents/carers should not expect to take annual holiday in term time. If for some unavoidable reason you need to take your child out of school in term time, you must send a letter asking permission from the head teacher. Legally schools cannot agree to a child missing school unless there is a very good reason.
If you take your child on holiday without the headteacher’s permission, your child will be taking unauthorised absence and you may be reported to the education welfare officer who will take legal action and fines may be issued.

Useful words and phrases explained
From time to time words and phrases appear in our letters home that may be misunderstood by our bilingual parents. Please let us know if you experience difficulties reading or understanding letters home so we may arrange for translations.
EAL
English as an additional language — this means that English was not the first language your child learnt to speak
EAL Coordinator
Member of staff who looks after arrangements and support for EAL learners
SENCo (Special Needs Coordinator)
Member of staff who looks after arrangements and support for children with special educational needs
TA
Teaching Assistant
SATs
Standard Attainment Tests. These are national tests taken by pupils at the end of KS1 in Year 2 and KS2 in Year 6
Non—uniform day
On this day the pupils may come to school wearing their own clothes, This may be in exchange for a small contribution towards a school fundraising event or be part of a school activity day
Parents Evening
This is an opportunity for parents to talk about their children’s progress with their teacher.

INSET Day
This is a day when teachers are receiving training so children do not attend school.
P.E kit / Swimming Kit
Kit means the clothes that are required for Physical
Education ( P.E) or swimming. Swimming is a compulsory part of the National Curriculum at primary school.
Vegetarian Meal
This is a meal that does not contain meat.
Packed Lunch
Food prepared at home and brought in to eat at lunch time instead of a hot school meal eg. Sandwiches. This should be a healthy, balanced meal ad should not include fizzy drinks and sweets
Buddy
When children are new to school they are introduced to
a friend, (a Buddy) who will look after them and help
them to settle in.

Religious Education (R.E.) and Assembly
Children learn about different religious beliefs and practices. They do not learn how to practise these faiths.

How to support your child to become bilingual.
Why is it important to continue developing the home language?
Parents sometimes feel that they should encourage their children to speak only in English, and minimise the use of their first or home language, so that their English develops as quickly as possible. This is a mistaken belief, as it is vital for educational as well as family and cultural reasons, that children maintain and develop their first or home language whilst their English is developing.
Your child’s first language “provides the best foundation for learning additional languages and new concepts.” Continuing to develop your child’s home language will allow them to develop concepts and reasoning, independently of their English language learning.
How can I help my child to develop our home language?
• Reading fact and fiction books in both your home language and English text (dual language books)
• Attending home language classes and schools
• Socialising in your home language community
• Discussing schoolwork in your home language
• Keeping in touch with your extended family
• Listening to radio and CDs and watching television and DVDs in your home language
• Looking at home language websites and doing e-learning activities
My English is not very good. Should I speak English with my child?
It is better to use your home language because you will provide a good model of the language. (Your child has many opportunities to hear English and to use it, outside the home.)
My child mixes the two languages. What should I do?
This is very common when a child is learning two languages at the same time. Your child will gradually begin to separate the two languages.

Our home language uses a different script. Will this confuse my child?
Learning to read and write in English is helped by learning to read and write in the home language. Children can successfully learn to write in two totally different scripts
My child has problems with reading/writing/spelling in their home language. Will they have the same problems in English?
Some literacy problems do transfer from one language to another.
The more information you can give your child’s school, the more they will be able to answer your specific questions and give appropriate support.
Will my child’s performance in school be affected by being bilingual?
In the early stages of learning in English, your child may take more time to reach the standard they would achieve in their home language. However, in time and with motivation and support, they can achieve success. In fact, some bilingual pupils perform better than monolinguals in national tests.
(adapted from Edinburgh English s an additional language service ‘Helping your child to become Bilingual’)

Encourage your child to take books in the home language to school. These books can be read during 'quiet reading' time. Children need to feel proud of the fact that they can speak another language and we encourage parents and children to share their bilingual skills with us.
Parents are welcome to come and read stories in their home language and, for example, teach us a traditional greeting or song. Please see your child’s class teacher if you would be interested.

School meals
All pupils in Key Stage 1 ( YR, Y1 and Y2) in state funded schools in England are eligible for a free school meal every day. ( If your school has a nursery class, pupils may be eligible for a free school meal before YR)
For Key Stage 2 pupils ( Y3-6 ) school meals are provided at a small charge per day. Please see the office staff for more information.
Some children in Key Stage 2 may also be eligible for free school meals.
Please see the office for details.
Alternatively, your child may bring a packed lunch.

Websites for pupils: English games and stories
http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/-tips and activity ideas so you can support your child's reading and maths at home
http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/ - Games on a
variety of basic vocabulary.
www.manythings.org - A variety of activities and games on page
titled ‘Interesting things for ESL students’.
www.onestopenglish.com - Includes free interactive resources
for children and ideas to help with English speaking practice.
www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/stories- This site offers
different stories with cartoons which you can listen to and read at
the same time. Many stories are interactive.