It is vital that students are proficient in English if they are to succeed at GIS and the role of the English as an Additional Language (EAL) department is to equip students to become part of GIS both socially and academically. Our focus at GIS is to ensure that every student reaches their full potential and we develop them academically, emotionally and socially.
Our EAL department works alongside the class subject and specialist teachers to ensure that your child develops their knowledge and understanding of the English language and are able to fully access the curriculum at GIS.
This support varies from one-to-one, group support and in-class support to make sure that your child is supported in their language acquisition and feels confident to use the English language each and every day
If a student is identified as needing EAL support, they must continue with this assistance until they are able to access the curriculum without extra support. Due to the nature of EAL support, there is an additional charge for this service.
EAL in Primary
In Primary, there are 3 levels of EAL support:
- Level 1: for students in Year 3 to 6 who are able to access Literacy, but still need support with writing, reading or confidence.
- Level 2: for students in Years 3 to 6 who have some access to Literacy
- Level 3: for students in Years 3 to 6 who are new, or relatively new, to English. This is our highest level of support.
EAL in Secondary
In Secondary, students in Year 7 to 9 receive EAL support through either the Core Plus (Cambridge Key English Test-KET) or Core (Cambridge Preliminary English Test- PET) provision.
Students must reach the Core Plus (PET) level of proficiency before progressing to Year 10 and into the IGCSE programme.
For students in Year 10 and above, the IGCSE ESL and IB English B courses are part of the mainstream curriculum and, as such there is no additional EAL charge.