Bi-lingual students policy

Aim:

• To raise the status of bi-lingualism and bi-lingual students in the school.
• To encourage and support the maintenance and acquisition of additional languages.

Principles:

• Bilingualism brings intellectual and academic advantage (Vygotsky).and Biliteracy increases this advantage.
• Development of a learner’s first language supports development in a further language:
  • Bilingual learners of English as an additional language progress better if they also develop their home language - both oracy and literacy
  • expertise in use of the first language supports success in MFL (French, Spanish, German)
• Language is closely associated with culture, bilingualism leads to biculturalism and a consequent widening of horizons benefits everyone.
• Respect for an individual’s home language and culture brings increased confidence and self-respect and a stronger sense of identity.

Practice:

1. Awareness raising:

• use of interpreters/Home School Liaison team
• Issues brought to attention of parents: initial interviews, Parents’ Evenings etc.
• Language Awareness intertwined with Languages lessons.
• Staff INSET
• Discussion in context of Induction Programme (eg. meetings with Class Friends)
• Bilingual notices
• Polyglots Clubs
• African Club
• Display reflecting languages and cultures of the school
• G & T designated teacher interviews new students and refers back to class teacher.

2. Encouragement of home language development:

• Panjabi teaching - twilight classes funded Gujerati and Urdu teaching
• Attendance at weekend classes encouraged
• School funds GCSE entrance in range of home languages, e.g. Arabic, Turkish
• Parents encouraged to support formal and informal development of home language

3. Use of first language to support access to the curriculum:

• Tutor Group placements: first language grouping a major consideration
• Class discussion:  task-focused talk peers (eg Class Friends) and/or Bilingual Assistants
• Written work: first draft in first language
• Literacy Groups: use of bilingual texts
• Homework: parents encouraged to discuss daughters’ work in home language first draft of written homework in home language as appropriate.

4. Practical systems:

• Partnership Teaching in the classroom
• Class Friends
• Preliminary visits to primary schools
• Parents’ information/discussion meetings
• Parents’ preparatory meeting before Parents’ Evenings
• Interviews by HOD Language Development of bilingual entrants
• Database of bilingual students’ home languages, with information available to all staff.

5. Working with community:

• Year 6 students attend after school sessions in ‘Community Connections’ room.

Updated: October 2, 2008