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Identifying SEN, EAL or Both

Identifying SEN, EAL or Both

Identifying Special Educational Needs, English as an Additional Language or Both

An Issue of Concern for Teachers of Bilingual Pupils

Teachers in schools and staff in settings are often concerned when a child or young person who has English as an additional language is not making expected progress.  It is often difficult to identify if the delay is caused because they lack the language of learning in English, they have special education needs or indeed if the pupil has both EAL and SEN.

How Can the Equality Diversity Inclusion Team Help?

The Equality Diversity Inclusion Team has highly experienced and qualified Advisory Teachers who provide support to schools and settings to resolve these questions.

This can include:

  • consultations with Teachers, Inclusion Leads and SENCOs
  • pupil observations in class
  • modelling an assessment using our identification tool: Language, culture, or special needs?
  • guidelines for professionals in schools and early years settings
  • training through CPD online or bespoke to your school or setting, covering:
    • raising awareness of the differences between English as an additional language and special educational needs during the development of communication, language and literacy skills
    • exploring the complexities surrounding effective identification of special educational needs in a child/young person with English as an additional language
    • familiarization with effective identification procedures.

Important to note:

“Identifying and assessing special educational needs for children or young people whose first language is not English requires particular care. Schools should look carefully at all aspects of a child or young person’s performance in different areas of learning and development or subjects to establish whether lack of progress is due to limitations in their command of English or if it arises from special educational needs or a Disability. Difficulties related solely to limitations in English as an additional language are not special educational needs.”

6.24 Special Education Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years January 2015

For more details and information on how EDIT can help, please click one of the boxes below.

Contact Us

You can get in touch with us using our designated contact page - contact EDIT here!