Sharing Good Practice
WHAT LIES BENEATH, UNEARTHING THE
POTENTIAL OF YOUR EAL STUDENTS
BY MATTHEW SAVAGE
and at the beginning of each Key
Stage thereafter. We make use of the
Standardised Age Scores to reveal,
among other things, a measure I
call ‘verbal deficit’ – the difference
between a child’s non-verbal and
verbal aptitude.
Where an EAL learner has low scores for
both verbal and non-verbal aptitude,
this suggests that their learning needs
are paramount for them rather than
their language needs. However, a low
verbal score alongside a significantly
higher non-verbal score suggests
they may flourish academically in their
own mother tongue, but will struggle
learning in English until they have
mastered it. Verbal deficit is reducible,
and, I believe it is our duty as a school
to do so.
W
hen I visited Uluru in
Australia a few years
ago, I was struck by
what
lies
beneath.
However, everyone thinks they know
this rockberg, when all they have seen
is its famous red tip.
It seems to me that schools can
often make the same mistake when
identifying the needs and potential
of their EAL (English as an Additional
Language) students. Relying largely
on a surface blend of professional
judgment and raw attainment data,
teachers can too easily conclude
that they understand the child,
and, therefore, that they are able to
personalise their learning.
This error is common and problematic
enough with students learning in their
mother tongue; for those with EAL,
the issues are even bigger, starker
and more critical. So how can we aim
truly to ‘know’ each child? For us, the
answer lies in student data, and the
‘three As’ of attainment, aptitude and
attitude.
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Whilst attainment data is valuable, it
means little if unqualified by what we
know about a child’s cognitive ability
and their attitudes to learning. With
so many of our students who are EAL
learners navigating a native English
curriculum, they might appear at
first glance to be performing below
‘expected’ levels. The risk is then that
this could lead to low expectations and
the dumbing down of their learning
experience.
To counter this, we use a suite of
assessment tools to help us complete
the triangle from the outset: to
understand where they are right
now; to unearth their potential; and,
critically, to understand the attitudes
which may inhibit their ability to fulfil
it. We use CAT4, a cognitive abilities
test, when a child joins the school
Class Time
PISA research has highlighted the
importance of attitudes in determining
outcomes, and, for an EAL learner,
these can be even more fragile. To
understand how they feel, we now
make annual use of the Pupil Attitudes
to Self and School (PASS) survey, a
sophisticated tool which identifies
a student’s attitudes to learning
under different factors. For example,
some EAL learners have dramatically
low scores in ‘perceived learning
capability’ and ‘learner self regard’.
In other words, they have become
convinced of their lack of ability, and
this threatens to erode their self-worth.
As we address the specific needs of
our EAL students, I hope that we will
see these scores increase as a result.
I call it #themonalisaeffect –
personalising learning so that every
student believes their learning journey
has been designed specifically for
them. At the International Community
School, we want to make sure it has.
Currently Principal at the International Community School Amman and formerly
Adjunct Lecturer in School Leadership at the University Brunei Darussalam,
Matthew has led international schools in Asia and Europe. A graduate of
Oxford University, Matthew has written and presented widely on The Mona
Lisa Effect™, and he now offers training and consultancy to school leaders from
across the globe.