The new Education Inspection Framework makes no reference to pupils who use English as an additional language as a distinct group. This does not mean, however, that schools should stop considering the distinct learning needs of pupils with EAL. Katherine Solomon and Silvana Richardson advise

Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) came into effect this month. In addition to the overall effectiveness grade, schools will receive a graded judgement for:

A change that has drawn substantial attention is the “quality of education” judgement, which takes a holistic approach to assessing education by combining a consideration of curriculum, pedagogy and outcomes, and assigning a judgement that focuses on a provider’s educational “intent, implementation and impact”.

This article will consider what “quality of education” might mean for pupils with EAL, and what school staff should consider when designing and implementing their curriculum with EAL pupils in mind.

In England, the curriculum is almost entirely delivered and assessed through the medium of English language. Therefore, language development must form a key component of a school’s curriculum, so that all pupils can both access the curriculum and demonstrate what they have learnt. If appropriate language use makes learning visible – in other words, it is the “primary evidence for learning” (Mohan et al, 2010) , then successful learning should translate into every pupil’s ability to articulate their knowledge and understanding appropriately, and the curriculum must take account of this fundamental need.

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