How do Individual Licensed Practitioners operate?
The Bell Foundation’s Licensed Partners provide EAL training and support for schools, often in areas of high need, usually where there are significant numbers of learners who use EAL and limited access to existing training and support. Each partnered organisation has a number of dedicated EAL teacher educators who are trained, licensed and supported by the Foundation to run EAL professional development courses for teachers and other school staff.
Licensed Partners can offer:
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On-demand CPD for schools from the catalogue of Language for Results courses – online and face-to-face;
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A comprehensive whole-school evaluation to determine strengths and opportunities for development within current EAL provision;
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A detailed report of practical recommendations, guidance and a CPD plan to build sustainable EAL provision;
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A bespoke ‘whole-school’ programme of CPD and support over a sustained period.
Why become a Licensed Partner?
Over 21% of learners in schools in England are now recorded as using English as an Additional Language (EAL). Many schools are seeing a shift in their cohorts as they continue to welcome newly arrived learners. This richly diverse, multilingual landscape is increasingly the norm for schools but it’s one that teachers do not always feel confident or prepared for.*
Learners using EAL are an asset to their schools, bringing with them rich linguistic resources, and life and learning experiences that can support the development of diverse, inclusive, multilingual communities. However, research shows that 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 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. The Bell Foundation’s network of Licensed Partners are well positioned to support schools with the task of developing sustainable, impactful EAL provision.
And with the inclusion of EAL in the new Ofsted toolkit, there is now more accountability around provision for multilingual learners – and our partners are seeing an increase in requests for support from schools.