At BISP, many of our students are what we call ELA (English Language Acquisition) learners – children who speak a language other than English at home while developing their English skills at school. Supporting these learners is an important part of ensuring every child feels confident, included and able to succeed in their studies.

Recently, Stephen Honey, Kate Thongsen, Jessica Jones and Rebecca Krijewski from our Learning Enhancement team led professional learning for our Primary School staff focused on practical ways to support ELA students in the classroom. Strategies included the use of makaton to support reading for our younger students, vertical learning to promote high quality group work and using multiple languages as learning tools (a process called translanguaging).

By building these approaches into everyday teaching, our staff help students strengthen comprehension, vocabulary and communication skills while continuing to value and celebrate the languages they bring with them.

At BISP we are committed to nurturing a learning environment where every child can thrive, no matter their starting point.