ACADEMIC SUPPORT
PREP
Homework or ‘prep’ as it is called at Wellington,
is a very useful part of the whole learning
process as a child grows up and takes on more
responsibilities as the years go by. Prep is about
preparation for lessons and studies and teachers
will use this in a number of ways to enhance
learning.
Pupils can consolidate skills and understanding;
they begin independence in learning without
giving up; they pick up research skills; they learn
breadth and depth of knowledge and develop
self-discipline and time management. This will
vary significantly from subject to subject and
across the year groups increasing in volume as
the children get older.
For year 3 as part of the CCA programme,
the children have a dedicated 50 minute
'prep' session. This is independent study time
supervised by members of the academic
teaching staff. This allows the pupils to
commence their homework assignments at
school, and then if required, continue and
complete them at home.
Although we expect that some of the prep
will be completed at school, parents can still
play an important role in learning at home
by establishing a routine, setting a regular,
uninterrupted study time each day in a quiet,
well-lit study area with no distractions.
It is ideal if a parent can monitor their child’s
organisation and daily list of assignments in their
planner whilst helping them to focus on the
learning, not to just get the work done.
SPECIAL
EDUCATIONAL
NEEDS (SEN) ENGLISH AS
AN ADDITIONAL
LANGUAGE (EAL)
Children’s experiences and baselines vary
greatly. Some pupils are capable learners but
may need special educational provision to access
the curriculum at some point in their school
lives. It may be a short-term or a long-term
support depending on their needs. As a College, we serve a very diverse
international community, therefore we are very
conscious of the need to support pupils for
whom English may be a second or even third
language.
At Wellington, we are committed to developing
children’s academic achievement as well
as personal and social growth. Our SEN
department provides support to pupils with
emergent learning difficulties. In order to help
pupils reach their full potential, we work closely
with teachers and parents identifying needs,
assessing the child, planning the right support,
and implementing and reviewing SEN support.
We want all pupils to make progress, recognising
ability and potential as well as celebrating high
attainment.
Our aim is to support emergent learning needs.
We cannot support significant learning needs in
the long term.
A copy of the SEN Parents’ Handbook is
available upon request.
Throughout the school in years 1 to 13, we
have developed an excellent EAL course
which is designed specifically to support pupils
in acquiring English both for every day usage
and, most importantly, to better enhance their
academic standards of English across
the curriculum.
Upon application to the school, pupils are
thoroughly assessed to evaluate their level of
English and their ability to access the curriculum.
If a pupil’s assessment outcome indicates a
level of English which could potentially result in
experiencing problems in mainstream classes,
then the Director of EAL and Head of School,
will ensure that this pupil attends EAL lessons.
Acquiring a new language to an advanced level
of proficiency is a long process and can take
years to master. Whilst at Wellington, pupils
do make better rates of progress than in other
schools, this is not the case for all and can be
very dependent upon the child and the support
of the family. Some parents choose to have
additional English tutors outside school hours
and we strongly encourage contact between the
EAL teacher and tutors to ensure that similar
styles and methods of teaching are being used,
so as not to confuse the child or cause damage
to their learning.
When a pupil is ready to exit the EAL
programme, their parents are informed in
advance. Exiting the EAL programme is only
done after assessments have taken place, day-
to-day work has been scrutinised, and if we feel
that a pupil is ready to leave. This decision is
made with the close consultation of the pupil’s
class teacher and the Director of EAL.
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Pre-Prep English Language Examinations
At Wellington, we ensure high levels of English
language development from a very early stage. Within both Prep and Senior School, pupils will
be able to work towards their EAL examinations
through Cambridge Language exams, which give
pupils a CEFR level which reflects their overall
language proficieny. These examinations are
spread across year groups to ensure that pupils
have both the language skills and maturity to
undertake very formal examinations.
From the age of five onwards, our Pre-Prep
pupils who require additional support in English
receive it daily from a qualified EAL teacher.
These lessons involve both pull-out and in-class
support sessions, where the children receive
specialist attention in the areas of reading,
writing, speaking and listening.
EAL lessons are carefully locked into the
timetable so that they occur during scheduled
literacy and phonics lessons, ensuring that
our EAL pupils do not miss out on any other
subjects. We pride ourselves on running a
rigorous, challenging and enjoyable programme
for all of our pupils that equips them with the
skills and knowledge to be successful in all areas
of the Wellington curriculum.
Prep and Senior Schools
The curriculum at Wellington College
International Shanghai demands that our pupils
communicate fluently and expertly both in
day to day communication and academically in
English using the four productive skills: speaking,
reading, writing and listening.
The EAL course for Prep and Senior pupils
offers a comprehensive cross-curricular
approach to ensure that pupils are best
supported to meet the wider needs of the
English National Curriculum.
EAL lesson are locked into the timetable
carefully, to ensure that pupils receive very
intensive support, which enables them to
make rapid and sustained progress across all
curriculum areas.
Year 6:
Year 8:
Year 11:
Preliminary English Test (PET)
Key English Test (KET)
First Certificate English (FCE)
IGCSE
In year 10, pupils may also be entered for
English IGCSE second language; this course is
appropriate for pupils in ‘EAL’ and those who
are not, but whom would benefit from taking
this course. This course runs over two years and
is taught alongside first language literature, which
is in line with other pupils. This allows pupils,
for whom English is not their first language, to
continue to attain well at IGCSE level.
IB
IB pupils are still supported by EAL teachers
with their academic English. Support here is not
fixed into the timetable, but is available upon
request from the student on either a 1:1 or
small group basis.
Pupils are also able take English B, as a course
which will allow them to focus on further
developing their academic English skills and
attain well at IB level.
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