The programme of study for English at key stage 1 aims to develop children’s independent and confident use of language in all its different forms in order to explore, extend and allow reflection upon their experiences. As they develop as language users at key stage 2, children learn to adapt their speaking, reading and writing to different situations, purposes and audiences across a range of genres, and learn to engage with more sophisticated layers of meaning. They also learn how language works.

Used flexibly, the English programmes of study provide valuable opportunities for newly arrived children to acknowledge and reflect upon their experiences and to develop their understanding of their world through the books they read and through their own writing while learning to make and shape meaning in a new language.

The national curriculum and the national literacy strategy (NLS) Framework for teaching are the starting point for planning a school curriculum that meets the specific needs of newly arrived pupils. The national curriculum inclusion statement outlines how teachers can modify, as necessary, the national curriculum programmes of study to provide all pupils with relevant and appropriately challenging work at each key stage. It sets out three principles that are essential to developing a more inclusive curriculum:

• setting suitable learning challenges
• responding to pupils' diverse learning needs
• overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

Below we identify the implications of each of these principles when teaching English to newly arrived children.

[Back to top]

Setting suitable learning challenges

To support the development of children’s skills in English, it is particularly important to establish their degree of literacy in their first language. The 'Initial assessment' and 'Assessment for learning' areas of this site provide further guidance on this. Teachers need to assess children’s needs and abilities and to decide whether the programme of study and the NLS Framework for teaching objectives are suitable for newly arrived children.’ In many cases, setting suitable learning challenges for newly arrived children requires teachers to make small but significant adaptations to the programme of study. Teachers will want to consider the following.

Providing additional opportunities to undertake oral work

Emphasis on the speaking and listening programmes of study is an important context for learning English, as well as a starting point for, and a means of accessing, the reading and writing programmes of study. Children will need opportunities to talk and listen with fluent English speakers in groups of different sizes, and where possible with speakers of their own first language.

The use of texts with strong visual appeal and intriguing content

Well-chosen visual texts which use language well allow children to engage with meanings and ideas beyond their present ability to express in English. Such texts are vital to stimulate and encourage communication.

[Back to top]

Providing opportunities to learn English in meaningful and supportive contexts

The most effective way to develop English is by providing contexts where speaking and listening or reading and writing skills are the necessary outcomes of practical and interactive tasks, in other words where there is a real need to communicate. Such opportunities arise throughout the school day and in all subjects.

The Ofsted report Managing the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant – good practice in primary schools describes some of the lessons observed that demonstrated a range of support strategies used by teachers working in partnership with ethnic minority achievement (EMA) teachers and bilingual assistants (see useful weblinks). Examples of literacy lessons include teachers:

• using props to ask questions
• developing pupils’ abilities to predict, use context and describe using dual-language books
• modelling language
• using a series of lively activities to teach letter sounds and initial letter blends to a class of pupils that included a recently arrived bilingual pupil
• selecting content that all pupils could engage with and that allowed some pupils to relate their personal experiences to the time of year. The aim was for all pupils to read simple text with understanding and to express opinions about the cultural and religious events outlined in the story.

[Back to top]

The use of alternative forms of recording

Graphic organisers are visual ways to represent information. They can be pictorial organisers, webs, maps, concept maps, charts or matrixes, tables or sequences. Graphic organisers are valuable instructional tools and are flexible in their application. They are particularly useful for children learning English as additional language. Graphic organisers are a means of valuing children’s existing knowledge even if they have limited English vocabulary. They allow meaning to be communicated. Success in these forms builds children’s confidence and skill to enable more sustained forms of writing to be tackled. Writing in English can also be preceded by opportunities to compose orally and, if children are already literate, to write in their first language.

For example, children can create maps that arrange information:

• according to main ideas, subtopics and details
• in sequence
• to show the relationships between the different parts
• according to the similarities and differences between two or more concepts by its components, as in the elements of a story.

The Ofsted report The education of asylum-seeker pupils (see useful weblinks) includes sections on teaching provision and pupils’ progress and case studies. One example is of a year 4 English lesson where the teacher used the layout of a graphics organiser to model and rehearse orally how she would plan her writing.

[Back to top]

Responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs

Effective teachers of newly arrived pupils make use of the different experiences, interests and strengths that these pupils bring to the class, in order to promote the learning of all pupils. Careful choices from the breath of study section of the key stage 1 and 2 programmes of study will ensure that the range of texts, themes and contexts for speaking and listening, reading and writing will reflect the social and cultural diversity of the class.

Although there are times when it may be necessary to work intensively with a child who cannot yet contribute orally to a whole-class lesson, the aim should be to integrate newly arrived children into literacy lessons as often and as quickly as possible both in order to avoid isolation and to provide models of fluent use of English.

Download Some suggested strategies to help make the literacy hour accessible to new arrivals from the right-hand navigation bar for some suggestions. 

What is the potential in the English curriculum for valuing diversity and challenging racism?

The national curriculum programme of study and the Framework for teaching  provide starting points for valuing diversity and challenging racism in the classroom. On the Respect for all in English site you will find references to the programme of study for key stages 1 and 2 that offer such opportunities. There are also suggested activities that are examples of good practice. They provide effective learning opportunities for children to value diversity and challenge racism. They focus on helping children understand and appreciate aspects of cultural difference, context and change while challenging and extending their perceptions of themselves and other people.

[Back to top]

Overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils

Children bring to school a wide range of attitudes, feelings, perceptions, interests and strengths as a result of experiences within their family, friendship circles and local neighbourhood. Often, children’s experiences of the world at large are mediated through books, newspapers, television and the internet. 

The experiences of children who have lived overseas can be an asset to the class. However, it is important to understand that some children may wish to put their experiences behind them and might feel uncomfortable. It is important that teachers acknowledge and respect children’s experiences and are aware of the origins of their experiences before exploring sensitive themes from story, poetry or information texts. Drawing on a child’s past personal experience requires appropriate professional judgement and sensitivity.

Barriers to learning for newly arrived children are likely to be:

• emotional, particularly where they have fled from conflict. The 'Supporting emotional well-being' area of this site provides guidance on this
• cultural. The 'Culturally diverse and inclusive curriculum' area of this site provides guidance on this
  linked to their degree of previous educational experience and their level of literacy in their first
• language. The 'Children with little or no prior education' area of this site provides guidance on this.

[Back to top]

Teaching and learning in English

Some children may require support in English language-learning. Planning for this support should take into account such factors as children’s age, length of time in the country, and their knowledge and use of other languages, particularly their first language. The children should be carefully monitored to ensure that they do not have any learning difficulties. As with any group of pupils, some newly arrived children will have also special needs, which will need to be addressed.

Effective teaching and learning in English for newly arrived children depends on planning that takes account of individual language needs, the requirements of the programmes of study and the objectives in the framework. Often it is the case that existing class planning can be made accessible for newly arrived children by allocating additional support to them or identifying preliminary steps which support them as they complete a task. The teaching approaches recommended by the NLS are relevant and appropriate for newly arrived children as they provide a mix of direct instruction and opportunities to practise. At times, however, teaching approaches may need to be adapted to enable children to contribute more extensively. This could mean finding visuals to go along with a written text, or carefully modelling what is required so that the child can follow what is going on.

The 'Teaching and learning' area of this site provides guidance which applies to all areas of the curriculum when planning to meet the needs of new arrivals.

It should be emphasised that most newly arrived children who are beginning to learn English will make progress within or by adapting an appropriate programme of study. The quicker they can learn to communicate in English, however, the more of the programme of study they will be able to access.

[Back to top]

Shared reading and writing

An interactive approach to whole-class work, with an emphasis on oral activities, allows all children to participate in whole-class elements of the literacy hour. Through modelling and demonstration, where the teacher articulates the thought and decision-making processes that are involved in reading and writing, the teacher is able to make explicit how language can be used and to scaffold the learning of skills and techniques before children attempt them independently.

Guided work

By using a ‘teach a bit/do a bit’ model during guided work, the teacher helps children prior to reading or writing and provides instant feedback and commentary afterwards. This allows early attempts to be recognised and meanings and expression to be clarified and improved. Such support and instant feedback are particularly valuable for newly arrived children.

Careful deployment of teaching assistants will also help make work accessible for all, or more appropriate to the needs of particular children. Levels of support can be differentiated or work can be adapted, for example by using the teaching assistant to provide additional explanation or the opportunity for repetition or questions where necessary.

[Back to top]

Independent work

Independent work benefits newly arrived children by allowing them to:

• work in their first language
• use strong, visual materials and artefacts as a starting point or as a prompt for language
• talk as a preparation for reading and writing
• focus on key vocabulary
• use structures like writing frames as a means of support.

Independent work can also be improved by providing opportunities for newly arrived children to work in mixed-ability groups with more fluent speakers of English.

Plenary

Both plenaries and guided group work where the focus is on giving feedback allow achievements to be celebrated and help newly arrived children understand the quality of their work and what they need to do to improve it.

Speaking and listening

The speaking and listening behaviours, skills and understanding of some newly arrived children may be influenced strongly by practices which are culturally different from those of the teacher and class. Expectations about how to answer a teacher’s question or speak to an adult, for example, differ between cultures.

The breadth of study for speaking requires teachers to ensure a range of opportunities including ‘telling stories, real and imagined’ and ‘speaking to different people, including friends, the class, teachers and other adults’ at key stage 1 and ‘presenting to different audiences’ and ‘extended speaking for different purposes’ at key stage 2. Teachers will recognise that these are likely to be very challenging contexts for newly arrived children, particularly where they are learning English as an additional language. The 'English as an additional language' area of this site provides further guidance on this.

Many cultures include forms of drama and presentation in important social or religious festivities, for example marriage ceremonies may involve a ritualised element of present giving. This may create some initial reticence on the part of newly arrived children to engage in drama lessons, where activities may appear to mirror in an inappropriate way significant cultural events. Sensitively handled, however, their experience can be an asset to a class when improvising and working in role, performing and responding to performances.

[Back to top]

Reading

Work to develop phonemic awareness, knowledge of phonics and word recognition is given considerable emphasis in the initial stages of learning to read. This is obviously important for newly arrived children too. Without a background in reading or having had texts in English read to them, however, they will not have assimilated an awareness of the grammar of English. This initially limits their understanding of how word order affects meaning and makes useful strategies like rereading to check whether what they read sounds right less successful. Time will need to be spent talking about the meaning of whole texts as well as of words in isolation. Unfamiliar cultural content may also inhibit children’s use of meaning cues when checking whether their reading is coherent. The use of traditional stories that have a currency beyond one particular culture, for example 'Cinderella' or 'Little Red Riding Hood', can be particularly helpful in providing familiar contexts which help readers to make sense. In this case, teachers’ presentation of the text should make explicit the cross-cultural links and antecedents.

Writing

Early understandings about writing are culturally determined so it will be important to understand whether and to what degree any newly arrived child is able to write in their own language. This will determine the starting point for the teaching of writing. Learners need to understand the difference between print and pictures as well as the symbolic nature of writing before they can develop more sophisticated skills.

For many new arrivals there is likely to be a gap between their ideas and their ability to express them in English. It will be important to provide plenty of opportunities for oral composition as a valuable activity in its own right, as well as being a prelude to writing.

Vignettes of effective practice

The examples of good practice (downloadable from the right-hand navigation bar) demonstrate how some teachers have catered for the needs of new arrivals by drawing on children’s experiences, using graphic organisers, enlarging text and using visual clues.

[Back to top]

Useful weblinks

Please note: QCA is not responsible for the content of external sites

BBC: Newsround: My country
This website contains reports written by children from the new EU countries, in which they tell us a little bit about life in their countries. Children are encouraged to write reports about a wide variety of subjects and they are posted on this site.  

Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE)
is an educational centre for schools and teachers, parents, teaching assistants and other educators. They provide a range of services including a library area that lists books that are available in many languages and a list of booksellers and suppliers of multicultural books.

DfES: Aiming high: guidance on supporting the education of asylum-seeking and refugee children
This good practice guide (2004) has been produced to support teachers in their work with asylum-seeking and refugee children and contains information ranging from the role of LEAs through to advice on supporting individual communities.

DfES: National literacy strategy: Guidance for supporting newly arrived pupils learning English as an additional language in the literacy hour
This guidance contains activities and resources for pupils learning English as an additional language.

[Back to top]

DfES: National literacy strategy: Home languages in the literacy hour
This guidance contains activities and resources for bilingual pupils and information about using bilingual adults. 

DfES: National literacy strategy: Speaking, listening, learning: working with children in key stages 1 and 2: handbook 2003
The materials reflect the national curriculum requirements in English and develop approaches to teaching, extending and reinforcing speaking and listening both in English and across the curriculum.

DfES: National literacy strategy: Speaking, listening, learning: working with children in key stages 1 and 2: teaching objectives 2003
This booklet aims to support a more systematic approach to speaking and listening by providing a set of relevant objectives which can be built into teaching and learning across the primary age range. Details of other materials in the Speaking, listening, learning series can be found on the Primary national strategy website.

[Back to top]

DfES: National literacy strategy: Supporting pupils learning English as an additional language
This guidance (2002) is a revised version of the guidance originally published by the NLS in 1999. The guidance in this file is intended to support schools with the development of strategies to promote inclusive teaching and to raise the attainment of EAL pupils. Six modules of training are provided, each based upon successful approaches to inclusion. The module on new arrivals and isolated learners includes an example of NLS medium-term planning which has been adapted to meet the needs of newly arrived pupils.

Mantra Lingua
Mantra Lingua produces a range of resources in dual languages.

Mantra Lingua: Multilingual talking dictionary
This CD-ROM allows you to see the word written in different scripts and hear it spoken aloud. Seventeen topics cover everyday words used at school and in the home. Pages can be printed out to provide dictionaries for the whole class. Available in four editions:

General CD: Arabic, Bengali, French, Somali, Urdu

East European CD: Albanian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croat

European CD: French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish

South Asian CD: Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Panjabi, Tamil.

Mantra Lingua: My life story
My life story is a dual-language 36-page pack written by U Mahmout and A Thompson. The pack is designed for use by bilingual pupils at different levels and ages to write about their lives. It can also be used for newly arrived children in key stage 2. Activities encourage pupils to:

• develop use of vocabulary
• develop skills in narrative writing
• write in whole sentences
• communicate with teachers
• voice their own individuality.

Topics include about me, my family tree, my country, my school, feelings about school, events and people, timeline of my life, hopes for the future, and jobs and careers.

The book is available in the following languages: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, French, Portuguese, Serbo-Croat, Somali, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.

Mantra Lingua: Words for school
An illustrated dictionary of essential words that children need at school, from ‘toilet’ to ‘classroom’, ‘teacher’ to ‘welfare assistant’. This book can be used by children and all those involved in their care at school and at home. The book includes translations as well as transliterations. It is available in the following languages: Albanian, Bengali (Sylheti), Chinese, Czech, French, Gujarati, Punjabi, Portuguese, Serbo-Croat, Somali, Spanish and Turkish.

Mantra Lingua: Seven stories
This audio CD contains seven stories in English followed by a second language narration. The stories are 'Buskers of Bremen', 'Dragon's tears', 'Lima's red hot chili', 'Mei Ling's hiccups', 'That's my Mum', 'Three Billy Goats Gruff' and 'Sam's first day'. This CD is available in English with Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, French, Portuguese, Serbo-Croat, Somali, Spanish and Urdu.

[Back to top]

National Association for Language Development in the Curriculum (NALDIC)
NALDIC provides a range of up-to-date advice, links to classroom resources and research, guidance and information on teaching pupils with EAL.

Ofsted: Managing the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant: good practice in primary schools
The purpose of this 2004 report is to disseminate good practice. A number of the examples and case studies relate to literacy lessons.

Ofsted: The education of asylum-seeker pupils
This report (2003) includes examples of headteachers and staff working hard to ensure that their school adopted a truly inclusive approach to pupils and their parents.

QCA: A language in common: assessing English as an additional language
Guidance to support the assessment of pupils of all ages for whom English is an additional language. Guidance includes principles underlying assessment and assessment scales.

Refugee Council
The Refugee Council publishes a bilingual series ‘Words for school use’. These illustrated word lists have been produced in less widely spoken refugee languages.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
The UNHCR produces teaching materials on the experience of refugees. Although it would need to be adapted to link more closely to the objectives of the framework, it provides a useful starting point for teaching. Follow the links to the site directory and then to teaching tools.

[Back to top]

Further resources

Books about refugee children:

Carrie’s war, Bawden, N, Puffin Books, 1993
This is a story about Carrie and her brother Nick who are evacuated to a Welsh mining town.

Home is a place called nowhere, Rossellson, L, Oxford University Press, 2002
The story of a young refugee’s attempt to find her real mother.

Parvana's journey, Ellis, D, Oxford University Press, 2004
Alone in a world at war, Parvana crosses Afghanistan in search of her family.

The colour of home, Hoffman, M, Frances Lincoln, 2003
The story of Hassan’s first day at an English school after his family flee the war in Somalia.

The silver sword, Serraillier, I, Puffin, first published in 1956
This is a story about how the Balicki family of Warsaw are torn apart by war in 1940, and how they succeed in reuniting themselves in Switzerland at the end of the war. After five years of extraordinary deprivation, fear and grief, the Balickis are not much like the people they were before the war started.

Macmillan Education: Today's children (series)
This series has been produced in association with UNHCR. The stories are about brave children caught up in difficult situations whose lives are disrupted by disasters, whether human-made or natural. The series includes stories about refugees, displaced persons, children injured by land mines, street children, and children faced with natural disasters. Readers will discover how tolerance, ingenuity and generosity can bring people together and build a foundation for mutual help and understanding.

Reading matters
This site is about books and ideas for children and teenagers. It is written for young readers who are keen to choose their own books. Adults can join in too. It includes detailed book reviews. There are more books about refugee children on this site.

Local education authority websites

A number of local education authorities produce guidance and materials that are available online.

Hounslow Language Service

Leicester Ethnic Minority Achievement Service

Manchester LEA

Nottingham LEA

Portsmouth LEA

[Back to top]