Head of EAL at The British School of Tashkent leads keynote speech at Nord Anglia Conference in Shanghai

Deborah Thomas, Head of English as an Additional Language at The British School of Tashkent (BST), recently travelled to Shanghai to attend the Nord Anglia CBL (China Bilingual) English Conference. This event offered a wonderful opportunity for Nord Anglia Education bilingual schools across the China region to come together, network, and exchange best practices.

Deborah brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role. With 29 years of international experience in education, her career spans across Japan, England, Indonesia, Dubai, Qatar, and Uzbekistan. From starting as a qualified Primary School teacher in Australia to becoming the Head of EAL at BST, Deborah has continuously demonstrated her commitment to supporting students with English as an Additional Language (EAL).

INSPIRING KEYNOTE SPEECH AND WORKSHOPS

At the Nord Anglia CBL (China Bilingual) English Conference, Deborah delivered a keynote speech and conducted two engaging workshops for attendees. The first workshop focused on constructing an EAL curriculum, where she shared her insights for developing an effective EAL curriculum tailored to the needs of new-to-English learners. The second workshop, ‘Developing and Administering an Initial Pupil Proficiency Assessment,’ provided practical guidance on creating and implementing assessments to accurately gauge the language proficiency of new students, ensuring they receive the appropriate support from the start.

Reflecting on her experience, she said, "This was my first ever visit to China and I was very warmly welcomed. The two-day conference gave all participants an opportunity to listen to my experiences, practices, and procedures both in Tashkent and my previous school in Qatar. The keynote speech and two workshops created a great deal of interest and discussion amongst teaching staff and principals. It was very interesting to hear about the contexts of the bilingual schools and how they plan for and support their learners."

SHARING BEST PRACTICE ACROSS UZBEKISTAN AND THE WORLD

This is not the first time Deborah and the EAL department at BST have been invited to share their expertise. Over the past twelve months, Deborah has also conducted workshops at the FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools in Asia) conference in Kuala Lumpur, and at both The Presidential School and Cambridge International School in Uzbekistan. Additionally, the team presented a webinar for COBIS (Council of British International Schools) titled ‘Foundations of a Primary EAL Department in an International Context.’ Prior to this, Deborah also presented at the Nord Anglia Education Middle East region conference in Doha, as well as a three-day workshop for BST’s sister school in Manila.

A GLOBALLY RENOWNED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 

Outstanding teachers make outstanding schools, which is why Nord Anglia recruits the world's best teachers. Nord Anglia teachers benefit from the globally renowned professional development programme, and events such as the Nord Anglia CBL English Conference are invaluable in fostering global connections and sharing educational strategies. It is this collaboration that ensures Nord Anglia educators give children a learning experience like no other.

Thank you to Deborah for her contributions and the positive impact she continues to make in the field of EAL at The British School of Tashkent, and the broader Nord Anglia community.