Initial Teacher Training

This is such a fantastic resource. I am (a) in awe and (b) very excited about finding an opportunity to share this module with our trainees. Thank you so much for putting this together and sharing it.

Nearly half of all teachers in England will be working with pupils from diverse backgrounds, and superdiversity in schools is becoming the norm. Ensuring that student teachers are prepared to meet the needs of pupils who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) as part of their initial teacher education is essential, due to the scale of this challenge, and the need to ensure that their teaching practices are fully reflective of diversity, equity and inclusion.

The OECD Teaching and Learning Survey found that 57% of trainee teachers do not feel they were prepared to support EAL pupils when they finished their training. Supporting multilingual pupils is one of the top three topics where teachers report a high need for professional development (OECD, 2019).

Following research with the University of Edinburgh, The Bell Foundation has developed evidence-informed, free to download teaching materials for ITT providers with a focus on preparing student teachers to work in diverse multilingual classrooms and to meet the learning needs of their current and future EAL pupils.

Module one

'Understanding EAL: Contexts, policies and pedagogy' is the first module in The Bell Foundation’s initial teacher education series on working with learners using English as an Additional Language. This course provides opportunities to develop a broad and well-informed understanding of what constitutes “EAL” in the context of schools in England. The course ensures that student teachers enter classrooms confident about the broad range of factors which make students who use English as an Additional Language distinct from each other.

Module two

'Language for Learning' is the second module in The Bell Foundation’s initial teacher education series. Building upon module one, this course takes a deeper look at the language learners encounter across the school curriculum. It offers frameworks for understanding how language works and how language learning can be integrated into all subject areas.

Module three

‘Assessing Learners who use EAL’ is the third and final module in The Bell Foundation’s initial teacher education series. This course can be used at any stage – either after the first two modules, or as a one-off standalone session. In the course, participants will learn briefly about the different levels of proficiency in English, and why it is important to understand a learner’s proficiency in English. The module then goes on to explore practical strategies for assessing a learner’s: proficiency in English, curriculum knowledge, and home language. This interactive module offers opportunities for group discussion, and application of strategies learnt in the session.

The three ITT modules have been designed to be easily adapted to suit different ITT contexts, settings (including face-to-face and remote online sessions), and session durations to fit the needs and requirements of individual organisations.

Who are the free modules for:

  • ITT providers accredited by the Department for Education (England)
  • ITE providers accredited by the Education Workforce Council (Wales)
  • Higher Education institutes accredited to provide ITE (Scotland)
  • Higher Education institutes accredited to provide ITE (Northern Ireland)

For providers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland please note these modules were developed in response to the ITT Core Content Framework for England, and it may be necessary to make adaptions to fit your policy context.

How to access the ITT modules

ITT/ITE providers:

  • To access the ITT modules please email info@bell-foundation.org.uk, including the name of the accredited ITT/ITE provider you represent. Please note: if you have already been given access to module one and/or two, you will automatically receive access to module three.
  • If you would like your trainee teachers to be taught using The Bell Foundation ITT modules, but do not want/are unable to deliver them yourself, please email info@bell-foundation.org.uk for information on delivery through Bell Foundation Licensed Practitioners.

Trainee teachers:

  • If you are a trainee teacher, or you work in a school which supports trainee teachers, please let the teacher training provider know about these resources and ask them to visit this website or email info@bell-foundation.org.uk.

To keep up to date with developments in our EAL Programme, and to receive notifications of new training opportunities, please complete the Contact Us form.

Upcoming courses and webinars

CPD on EAL: Using the Foundation’s Classroom Guidance and Strategies (Webinar)

Date
20 March 2024
Time
4:00pm
Price
Free
Type
Webinar

Supporting New Arrivals Who Are New to English (Online Course)

Date
16 April 2024
Time
9:00am
Price
£40-£60
Type
Online course

Introduction to EAL Assessment MOOC (Webinar)

Date
22 May 2024
Time
4:00pm
Price
Free
Type
Webinar

Embedding EAL Assessment (Online Course)

Date
4 June 2024
Time
9:00am
Price
£40-£60
Type
Online course