Conservatorium High School is committed to providing all students the opportunity to flourish in all aspects of their education. As such, students are given individualised opportunities for enrichment, differentiation and accelerated progression whilst receiving support to acquire English language proficiency and the skills necessary to function effectively as 21st Century learners.

Conservatorium High School uses direct, collaborative, parallel and resource modes of delivery to meet the linguistic and educational needs of all students who are learning English as an additional language/dialect.  EAL/D students at the Conservatorium High School are further assisted to meet their social, emotional and behavioural needs by the safe and supportive environment created through our school’s wellbeing, assessment, teaching & learning policies. At Conservatorium High School, classroom and EAL/D specialist teachers collaboratively plan teaching and learning programs that take into account language and cultural considerations, and use EAL/D pedagogy, in order to support and engage EAL/D students in quality learning experiences throughout their schooling experience.

Teaching and Assessing EAL/D Students

EAL/D students are simultaneously

• Learning English
• Learning about English
• Learning through English

EAL/D students need to both learn English and learn through English in order to participate effectively in the classroom, in the playground and in society. EAL/D students require the implementation of quality teaching and learning programs to build their knowledge of the English language and provide them with the skills to achieve academically.

The Quality Teaching Framework

Effective teaching and learning that supports EAL/D students, is underpinned by the Quality Teaching

Framework. The following areas are particularly important for EAL/D students:

• Intellectual quality
• Substantive communication
• Metalanguage
• Quality learning environment
• High expectations
• Social support
• Significance
• Background knowledge
• Cultural knowledge
• Inclusivity

Identifying EAL/D Students

Students at Conservatorium High School come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. EAL/D students attend school with varying levels of knowledge of one or more languages/dialects. Some EAL/D students have been born in Australia but their first language is a language other than English, while others have been born overseas and then move to Australia, either permanently or on temporary visas. EAL/D students may come to school with different experiences and expectations of education, depending on cultural values and expectations, as well as previous schooling experiences including interruption to schooling. Some EAL/D students may have some print literacy skills in their home language, while others have little or no experience with print. Print literacy in their first language may also be dramatically different to print literacy in English (e.g. directionality of print, logographic writing system), resulting in an added challenge when learning English.

EAL/D students include:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
• Students on temporary visas in Australia (e.g. business)
• Students born outside Australia (and/or or living in countries) where SAE (Standard Australian English) is not used
• Students born in Australia to migrants and refugees
• Students that are exposed to languages other than English at home
• Students born in Australia but who have spent (or spend) a significant amount of time overseas in countries where SAE is not used
• EAL/D learners may also have other challenges, like ALL learners, such as emotional and social difficulties, learning difficulties, behavioural difficulties or other conditions.
• EAL/D learners may also be gifted and talented learners

At Conservatorium High School, students’ experiences and exposure to languages other than SAE is collected during the enrolment process.

EAL/D Students with Additional Needs

Newly arrived students

Newly arrived students are a diverse cohort and can include students from refugee backgrounds, students with limited literacy due to disrupted schooling or they can be migrant students with continuous schooling and advanced language and literacy skills in their first language.

At Conservatorium High, newly arrived EAL/D students are supported through a peer mentoring program, with teachers incorporating strategies in class to address basic language needs and provide students with a safe and supportive learning environment. Once settled, students are assessed by EAL/D specialist teachers in order to determine needs and mode of EAL/D support.

Gifted and talented EAL/D students

The Gifted and Talented Policy states that gifted and talented students are found in all communities, regardless of their ethnic, cultural or socio-economic characteristics. The gifted population includes students who are underachieving and those who have a disability. It also includes EAL/D students.

The policy implementation strategies stress that the recognition of gifts and the development of particular talents may be affected by a student’s cultural identity. Gifts and talents need to be viewed from multiple perspectives reflecting the values and beliefs of different communities.

At Conservatorium High School, the process of identifying students as gifted and talented is inclusive, culturally fair and takes into consideration English language proficiency.

EAL/D students with disability

Gathering comprehensive information about a student and their competence across all modes of language can assist teachers to compile a student profile, in order to distinguish between language needs and learning difficulties or disability. Information about a student’s first language competence can also provide an idea of potential in English. EAL/D students with clearly identified learning difficulties or disabilities still need assistance to develop their English language proficiency as well as accessing Learning and Support resources available in schools. Limited English language proficiency or behaviours associated with resettlement may delay diagnosis or assessment.

At Conservatorium High School, EAL/D students with disability are supported to access services and resources to ensure participation and success at school. A broad range of observations and assessments are used to identify and support individual student needs.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander EAL/D learners

Aboriginal students in NSW Public schools come from a range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The majority of NSW Aboriginal students do not speak an Aboriginal language as their main language of everyday use however cultural and linguistic continuities do persist in the ways that Aboriginal people communicate and in their continued use of Aboriginal English. Teachers need to be aware that for many Aboriginal students, Standard Australian English is not the main home dialect of English that the students use. Teachers need to explicitly teach SAE structures to Aboriginal students who speak Aboriginal English as their main home dialect. Teachers need to be aware of the home dialects that Aboriginal students may bring to school and value these dialects as legitimate forms of communication.

The EAL/D Learning Progression

EAL/D students can be categorised into broad phases, which are set out in ACARA’s EAL/D Learning

Progression. This document broadly describes the characteristics of an EAL/D learner at certain stages of their English learning. Individual students will move through these phases at different rates. Students can also be at different phases, across different modes.

Beginning English:

Students are learning English for the first time, and rely on visual cues and gestures to help meet their learning needs and begin to engage in simple classroom activities. Students in the beginning phases of learning English can fall under sub-categories: students who have limited or no exposure to print literacy (LPL) in their first language, and students who have an age-appropriate understanding of print literacy in their first language (SPL). The focus of teaching is assisting students to develop foundation skills in English.

Emerging:

Students can speak one or more languages, including basic English, and have a growing knowledge of print literacy in English. They understand and participate in classroom behaviours and school routines. Students are able to produce simplified written and spoken English with teacher assistance. The focus of teaching is assisting students to engage with grade curriculums and outcomes.

Developing:

Students can speak one or more languages, including functional English. They have a developing knowledge of print literacy in English and are active participants in class routines. Students produce increasingly extended pieces of spoken and written English, and are developing their use of English grammar and vocabulary. The focus of teaching is assisting students to begin to meet grade appropriate outcomes.

Consolidating:

Students can speak one or more languages and have a sound knowledge of English. They are increasingly independent participants in classroom and school routines. Students understand and are able to produce spoken and written texts, for a range of specific purposes. They have the language skills in English to meet many of the achievement standards for their year level. Consolidating does not mean that students are proficient.

At the Conservatorium High School, the EAL/D Learning Progression is used by EAL/D specialist teachers to identify, support & monitor students' progress in learning English. At the Conservatorium High, EAL/D students are flagged on Sentral and are monitored collaboratively. At the Conservatorium High School, the ESL Scales are used by EAL/D specialist teachers to monitor individual student language needs in order to plan and implement differentiated teaching programs and organise modes of EAL/D support.

Reporting to Parents

It is the responsibility of classroom and EAL/D specialist teachers, to provide parents of students learning English as an additional language/dialect with information about their child’s English language proficiency and how the school has supported their language development.

Staff Roles & Responsibilities

At Conservatorium High School, all school staff are responsible for creating and maintaining safe, inclusive, culturally & linguistically inclusive learning environments. All teachers are expected to use culturally and linguistically inclusive strategies that support EAL/D learners to participate in classroom activities. EAL/D learners should be encouraged and supported to participate in all aspects of the school community.

Organisation and Responsibilities:

EAL/D students at Conservatorium High School are supported through specialist EAL/D programs delivered through:

• Direct teaching: small group or individual withdrawal, targeting basic interpersonal and communicative skills.
• Parallel teaching: small group teaching targeting cognitive academic language proficiency in order to provide students access to age-appropriate curriculum concepts and content.
• Collaborative teaching: EAL/D Specialist Teachers collaboratively plan and team-teach with classroom teachers, to support EAL/D students to engage with curriculum content. This involves collaboratively developing assessment modifications.
• Resource mode: EAL/D specialist teacher’s expertise is used to build classroom teacher capacity to understand and cater to the varying needs of their EAL/D students.

Classroom teachers are responsible for:

• understanding the needs of their EAL/D students
• engaging with resources provided by EAL/D specialists identifying the level of EAL/D students’ proficiency and supporting students’ English language learning.
• developing and implementing differentiated teaching programs, practices and strategies that address the English language and literacy learning needs of EAL/D students in curriculum areas
• providing a record of learning implementation strategies used  to support EAL/D student’s English language learning and progress.
• engaging in professional learning focussing on EAL/D pedagogy
• working collaboratively with EAL/D specialist teachers, academic advisers, counsellors and other personnel to ensure appropriate support, assessment and reporting for their EAL/D students.

EAL/D specialist teachers are responsible for:

• identifying EAL/D students, assessing their English language proficiency and prioritising their need for EAL/D support
• assisting in the maintaining of accurate and complete EAL/D student data in ERN
• collaborating with classroom teachers to make a judgement about the EAL/D Learning Progression phase in each language mode to determine the overall EAL/D Learning progression phase.
• providing advice on appropriate modes of delivery for the school’s EAL/D support strategy, based on identified EAL/D needs

• planning and teaching EAL/D programs to meet the English language needs of EAL/D students using principles and practices of EAL/D differentiation

• assessing, monitoring and reporting on EAL/D students’ English learning progress with reference to the ESL Scales and EAL/D Learning Progression

• working collaboratively with class teachers to develop programs, practices and resources which support the English language and literacy learning of EAL/D students across curriculum areas

• providing advice, professional support and leadership to school executives and other teachers on principles and practices of second language acquisition and differentiation to support English language learning for EAL/D student

NSW EAL/D Policy Document Links & Resources:

• EAL/D advice for schools
• EALD
• Planning EAL/D support
• English as an Additional Language or Dialect Teacher Resource
• Key language skills for English EAL/D | NSW Education Standards