What is EAL support, and how do I tell if a school does it well?

Question

Priscilla Han · Accepted Answer

EAL (English as an Additional Language) support is the structured help an English-medium school gives children who are not yet fluent in English, so they can access the curriculum while their English develops. Good EAL provision is a staffed, funded programme — specialist teachers, in-class support and a clear exit path — not simply putting a child in an English-speaking classroom and hoping they pick it up. The single most useful question a family can ask is who actually delivers EAL and how it is resourced: Is there a dedicated EAL specialist, or is it left to the class teacher? Is support given inside the classroom (so the child stays with peers) or by withdrawal (pulled out for separate lessons)? How is progress measured, and what is the plan for the child to eventually no longer need it? A school that can answer these concretely is investing in EAL; a school that answers in brochure language often is not. For internationally-mobile and Chinese, Korean or Japanese families, EAL quality can matter more than a school's headline results, because a strong academic school with weak EAL can leave a capable child stranded for a year or more. This is also why a reasoning test like CAT4 or UKiset matters — it can show a child's real ability even when their English (and therefore their exam scores) still understate it.