Strengths
Aspects for improvement
Most schools have developed a positive climate of equality and fairness. Staff are caring and supportive. They are not always fully aware of children’s difficulties in managing the transition to a new country or school, such as feelings of insecurity, isolation and differences in schooling.
Staff expectations of newly-arrived children and young people are variable. Some schools are placing newly-arrived children and young people into lower-achieving classes on the basis of their limited proficiency in English. Most newly-arrived children and young people, especially those at secondary school, feel that teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations of their achievements. They feel that their potential is being underestimated as a result of their lack of proficiency in the English language. Some Polish children in particular spoke about the lack of challenge in learning, especially in mathematics.
Children and young people feel that one of the hardest things about starting school is feeling helpless when spoken to in English. Staff in schools who speak children’s home languages are playing an important role in helping children feel secure. Some schools need to develop positive approaches to recognising and valuing children’s home languages. In one school, young people felt marginalised at being prevented from using their home language and being made to sit apart at lunchtimes from other children who spoke their home language.
A few schools have established clear and well-considered practices that involve admissions and induction arrangements to help children settle quickly and to have a sense of belonging. However, most education authorities and schools do not have clearly-stated policies for welcoming newly-arrived children and their families. A majority of schools are making effective use of ‘buddying’ systems to help pupils settle in. Some schools match new pupils with a buddy who speaks their home language and this is helping children and young people feel welcomed and valued. Three authorities have taken effective steps to address newly-arrived children’s feelings of isolation. They have set up arrangements to enable newly-arrived young people to meet with others from across the authority to socialise and share experiences.
In a number of schools, staff make good use of dual language materials to help children feel comfortable and that their home language is valued. Only a few schools have bilingual/multilingual signage around the building to make parents and children feel welcome.
Most authorities have no specific arrangements for promoting the participation of newly-arrived children and young people in the wider life of the school. A number of schools are developing their own approaches. They are successfully encouraging children and young people to take part in activities such as language clubs, music festivals, after-school clubs and multicultural events. This is helping to extend their wider achievements and to promote diversity throughout the school community.
The children and young people HMIE interviewed felt welcome and safe in school. A few had experienced unfriendly behaviour by groups of other pupils. However, they felt that the school had dealt effectively with these incidents.
Improving education for newly-arrived children and young people
The starting point for learning is a positive ethos and climate of respect and trust based upon shared values across the school community, including parents, whether for young people in school or those not in school. All members of staff should contribute through open, positive, supportive relationships where children and young people will feel that they are listened to; promoting a climate in which children and young people feel safe and secure; modelling behaviour which promotes effective learning and wellbeing within the school community; and by being sensitive and responsive to each young person’s wellbeing.
Building the Curriculum 3
Every child knows whom they can approach with a problem and that they can be assured of effective support. Staff know each learner well. When a factor hindering learning has been identified, key members of staff become responsible for ensuring positive outcomes for individual learners and for working with parents and other agencies. Record keeping is of a very high quality. Young people and parents are actively involved in planning future support where required.
The Journey to Excellence, Part 2, Page 108
Issues to consider |
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School: St David’s High School and Newbattle College, Midlothian |
Focus: Welcoming and valuing diversity Description of practice The school ensures that diversity in the school and wider community is valued. It has taken positive steps to welcome newly-arrived young people and their families. The school arranged a parents’ evening for Polish parents. It considered the English language proficiency of parents and arranged for an interpreter to ensure the clearest exchange of information. Following the success of the evening, the school helped to set up a support group for parents, linked to the chaplaincy. Working with Newbattle Abbey College, staff provided an opportunity for pupils at S5/S6 to make a Welcome to St David’s DVD aimed at Polish young people and their families. Polish pupils translated the DVD initially for children at the P7 stage who were moving on to the secondary school. The DVD was very well received by parents and mini versions of the DVD were then produced to support transitions from S2 to S3 and from S4 to S5. The school and college have established a strong partnership. Newbattle Abbey College provides online ESOL courses which can be accessed in school, college or from home. These courses are for family learning. Families come along to the school at evening events to sign up for the course. They also have a demonstration by tutors from college on how to use the resources. To celebrate the launch of the first online ESOL course, the school and college held a Celebration of Family Learning event at Newbattle Abbey. Young people, parents and staff attended a mass, and enjoyed traditional Polish food and an evening of Scottish and Polish music and dance. The school is successful in:
Outcomes
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School: Balwearie High School, Fife |
Focus: Having clear approaches to welcoming new arrivals Description of practice The school demonstrates a very strong commitment to providing a positive and inclusive ethos which welcomes newly-arrived young people and their parents into the school community. There is complete integration of bilingual pupils into mainstream school life and work, while at the same time acknowledging and respecting pupils’ first language and culture. There are sensitive and very clear enrolment procedures for new pupils. Effective use is made of interpreters and the school ensures that young people and parents are provided with the appropriate information and understand it. Interpreters are used at induction and also at parents’ evenings to ensure effective two-way communication. Information is provided to young people and parents in their first language, as required. Sixth year bilingual pupils have developed a leaflet to welcome and guide newly-arrived pupils to the school. The school has initiated a range of strategies to support the induction of pupils into the school. For example, sixth year volunteer students work with small groups of bilingual learners. Each new bilingual pupil is allocated a ‘buddy’ to help them find their way about the school community and to support them. A very successful ‘Getting to Know Your School’ evening is arranged for newly-arrived young people and their parents. The school ensures that transition arrangements are put in place early to support young people with English as an additional language on entry to the secondary school. The school has organised network meetings of newly-arrived pupils to the Kirkcaldy area, with other newly-arrived young people from the four Kirkcaldy schools meeting on an informal basis to share experiences and develop peer support. The school has effective support from the Fife EAL services. It has given very good attention to building capacity among school staff to deliver more effective provision for newly-arrived learners. The school is successful in:
Outcomes
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