The children and adults at St Mary's Fields speak more than 30 different languages. Many of our children speak multiple languages and we celebrate this! Below is our intent statement for EAL (English as an Additional Language). It details our goals as we support our children to not only learn English, but learn through English.

EAL Intent

Our EAL intent has three key messages:

• Vocabulary is crucial and prioritised.

As clearly stated in our whole school intent, St Mary’s Fields recognises that the development of a robust vocabulary is essential for all children. We know that for our EAL children, they are not only learning English, but are required to learn through English, and so we take additional steps to ensure that they are equipped with the vocabulary they need to succeed. For all children, vocabulary is a powerful predictor of their academic success in later life and we therefore prioritise the instruction of vocabulary in every aspect of our curriculum.

• Diversity is celebrated.

At St Mary’s Fields we have the privilege of teaching children from all over the world, speaking over 30 languages. We celebrate this diversity, preparing our children to be positive members of multicultural Britain. This is reflected in our whole school intent:

Our curriculum provides the opportunity for children to learn more about their own culture and that of others, through sharing and celebrating similarities and differences between us all.

Through our character education, we build the values of inclusivity, empathy and respect. We also encourage children and their families to maintain their home languages, as we believe that multilingualism is an asset to our families.

• What’s good for EAL is good for all.

The close links between our EAL intent and whole school intent are a reflection of this message. We know that all children benefit from a curriculum which prioritises vocabulary and celebrates diversity. Our curriculum, which blends knowledge, skills and character education, is inclusive in its design. All children attending St Mary’s Fields benefit from the rich language and broad experiences which are embedded in their learning journeys.