On Wednesday 27 September, the Secondary EAL Department held a parent workshop for all parents with students in Secondary EAL in Years 7-10. The purpose of this event was to allow us the opportunity to meet our parent community, introduce the EAL Department and what we do as well as answer any questions.
The workshop covered the following important information:
· What EAL and an EAL student is,
· What the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) means and how it
relates to your child and the Cambridge Assessment exams they take,
· What Cambridge Assessment exams a student will take and when,
· When we feel a student’s English is adequate for them to move to mainstream English and why,
· Useful websites to use at home.
At BISS, the EAL Department in Secondary has created a strong curriculum to support our students’ English learning and guarantee an enjoyable learning experience while simultaneously giving them the best possible access to higher educational opportunities.
The parents were introduced to our Cambridge Assessment exams KET, PET and FCE and we dipped into the IGCSE ESL and IB English B courses. We looked at how students move seamlessly through these exams, constantly building their English knowledge while obtaining globally-recognised certificates. We spoke about different pathways and exit points and shared different outcomes and course choices for different students, based on their level of English.
We feel that a student’s success can only be enhanced if there is a close partnership between our teachers, parents, and students. It is only when all of us have a clear understanding of these course requirements and options that we can work towards achieving each student’s goals for their future and further studies.
Maria Pantasoulas
Head of Secondary EAL
