Section One - Ethnic Minority Achievement Policy
SECTION ONE
Ethnic Minority Achievement Policy
Aims
• To raise standards of achievement for all pupils irrespective of gender, race, disability or level of ability.
• To meet the needs of all pupils for whom English is an additional language.
• To raise standards of achievement for those minority ethnic groups who are particularly at risk for under achieving.
Objectives
• to provide a welcoming, accepting ethos in the classroom and school, celebrating in work the cultural diversity of the pupils;
• to meet the need for full acceptance by and integration into peer groups, including security from racial harassment, a fully developed multi-cultural and anti-racist curriculum to assist this;
to provide continuity, dialogue and partnership between home and school;
• to emphasise the advantage of bi/multi-lingualism for EM pupils and the school as a whole;
• to reassure parents of these advantages, especially in homes where English is the language of communication between parents and pupils, but not the parents' mother tongue;
• to encourage confidence in using the mother tongue at school to enable pupils to develop in other areas of the curriculum;
• to continue to raise the need for the curriculum to reflect EM pupils' interests and cultures.
Analysis of Ethnic Minority Achievement
At the school Ethnic Minority achievement is above the national average from evidence obtained through the SATs results at KS1 and KS2.
Analysis of Progress and Achievement of EAL pupils
Progress and achievement of EAL pupils remain on par with their peer group.
The progress and achievement of EAL pupils who have consistently attended from Nursery to Juniors continues at a higher level than the national average, pupils achieving at the same level as their peers.
Strategies for Raising Ethnic Minority Achievement
• teaching which is clearly and sharply focused on EM pupils and differentiated to meet their needs at different stages and levels;
• teaching which identifies a clear language focus for pupils' learning and exploits the language potential of every activity;
• mainstream staff taking full responsibility for teaching EM pupils.
• monitoring EM pupil's progress within the context of the NC and NLS;
• encouraging the active involvement of parents and community groups in school life and building strong links with the wider community; through establishing links with local ethnic minority community groups;
• establishing harmonious race relations through positive behaviour management policies;
• boosting pupils' self esteem through valuing cultural diversity and displaying work around the school;
• raising awareness that, although lack of fluency in English does not denote SEN, as with English speakers, a proportion of EAL pupils will be SEN;
• using teaching resources which avoid stereotypical and inaccurate images;
• encouraging pupils to write in their mother tongues and speak or sing at concerts.
• ensuring that EM and bilingual parents are welcome and involved in the school and that school.
• inviting and encouraging bilingual parents to share their culture with the school (e.g. displays of traditional dancing, demonstrating and making of ethnic resources);
• where there are choices to be made about the curriculum that they take into account the diversity of pupils' cultural experience and that all the school's curriculum policies reflect the needs of EM learners.
Strategies for Supporting EAL Pupils
• providing comprehensive input with meaning supported by context, visual aids and familiarity;
• providing the opportunity to build on previous experience, including those acquired outside school;
• emphasising communication rather than correction until pupils are confident and fluent in English.
Responsibilities of Mainstream, and Senior Staff
• senior staff to be responsible for ensuring there is a clear agenda regarding implementation of the Equal Opportunities Policy;
• mainstream staff to ensure classroom displays reflect the multilingual and multicultural ethos of the school;
• EM pupils to be encouraged by staff to contribute ideas and materials which represent their particular cultural and religious perspectives for display throughout the school;
basic survival strategies for new arrivals. On these occasions, pupils may be taught individually or in small groups, possibly spreading across different classes.
The Head Teacher to oversee the management and the work of EMA staff
Record Keeping and Monitoring
Initial assessment and maintenance of records of pupil's progress in line with the agreed Stages of Learning English. Assessments of pupil's progress are used as a basis for planning differentiated work with clear procedures of identifying EAL pupils who may have special educational needs.
Link with other School Policies
The policy underlies all other school policies. There is a commitment to all EM pupils irrespective of race and religion that they should be supported in order to have equal access to the curriculum.
Process for Implementing and Monitoring Policy
It is the Head Teacher's responsibility to oversee the implementation of the policy, through staff meetings, INSET and ongoing monitoring and assessment procedures which involve the Senior Management Team and Curriculum Coordinators.
There are to be clear links between the EM Policy and Equal Opportunities policy so that they share a common philosophy.
• to endeavour to reflect pupil's general ability, rather than acquisition of English language, in arranging class groups;
• to provide models of good English language in groups containing EAL pupils;
• books for shared reading to reflect the multi-cultural nature of the school's population;
• support to be within classroom situation as much as possible.
Updated June 2008
Review on or before June 2009
Reviewed June 09
Updated November 09
Review November 2010