How do Individual Licensed Practitioners operate?
You will provide EAL training and support for schools in areas of high need, usually where there are significant numbers of learners who use EAL, and limited access to existing training and support. As part of your work, you can offer schools:
- On-demand CPD for schools from the catalogue of Language for Results courses;
- A school needs assessment to determine strengths and opportunities for development within current EAL provision;
- A detailed report of practical recommendations, guidance and a CPD plan to build sustainable EAL provision;
- A bespoke ‘whole-school’ programme of CPD and support over a sustained period.
As an organisation or individual, you will have a proven track record of supporting schools in developing their EAL provision. You will be committed to improving the attainment levels of children who use EAL and have capacity to run EAL training on a regional basis. We have existing partnerships with Local Authorities, Multi Academy Trusts, and individual consultants. To see where we already have partners, please see our Regional Training Page.
Why become an Individual Licensed Practitioner?
There are more than 1.7 million pupils in state-funded primary and secondary schools in England who use EAL. This number reflects the diverse, multilinguistic landscape in which teachers and other school staff are working, with research suggesting that nearly half of all teachers teach in diverse classrooms (OECD TALIS Country note, 2019). However, a Teacher Tap survey of 6447 teachers in May 2022 found that many do not feel confident in supporting pupils who use EAL. This aligns with research commissioned by The Bell Foundation with the University of Edinburgh which found that many student teachers and teacher educators feel that they lack confidence and experience as they work to address the learning needs of pupils using EAL.
Learners using EAL are an asset to their schools, bringing with them rich linguistic resources, as well as life and learning experiences that can support the development of diverse, inclusive, multilingual communities. However, there are specific groups of pupils using EAL who are at risk of underachieving including:
- Those who are new to English or in the early stages of English language acquisition.
- Those arriving late into the school system.
- Those who speak certain first languages.
- Those from economically disadvantaged households.
It is therefore important that all schools develop and embed appropriate systems, classroom practices and staff training to ensure the linguistic, academic and wellbeing needs of learners using EAL are fully met. As an Individual Licensed Practitioner, you will be well positioned to support schools with the task of developing sustainable, impactful EAL provision.