As a team we have re-visited EAL in Early Years Training delivered by our very own EYFS Coordinator, Lenka Melova, who shared her knowledge and experience gathered over the many years she has supported children who speak English as an additional language. Lenka speaks English as a second language, providing her with a good insight into the challenges and benefits of being EAL.

We have discussed the language development and what it looks like for EAL children and the provision adjustments that will help children settle in and progress in their communication skills. We revisited some of the strategies we implemented as a Communication Friendly Setting when we received our Accreditation. We also shared all the effective strategies we are using daily with our children and many of our success stories. As a setting with 67% of EAL pupils we had many to share and it was a good opportunity to refresh our knowledge as well as celebrate our children’s achievements and progress.