English Language Foundation

Stuart Pollard: Director of Junior ELT

We have a long successful history of running English Language Learning courses for all learners aged 3-17.

ACADEMIC YEAR (September – June)

Long Term Students (6 weeks or more).
ICS is committed to an inclusive approach to learners with EAL (English as an Additional Language). We recognise that we can facilitate a quicker and smoother transition to meaningful inclusion within the mainstream with added support from our specialists in these areas. This is done through parallel classes, individual/small group support and integration.

Please see details of our Foundation Programmes for further information.

FOUNDATION PROGRAMMES OVERVIEW

The Primary and Middle Years Foundation Programmes
YEAR GROUP	STRATEGY	PROGRAMME RATIONALE
Nursery Reception	Full Immersion programme	We have a highly skilled nursery/ reception team with solid EAL awareness, therefore they are able to rise to the challenges of supporting our EAL learners. In addition, all learners at this age are essentially ‘language learners’.
Yrs 1 and 2	Immersion programme with EAL staff support (33% each)	Again, at this age, there is evidence suggesting that all learners are still coming to grips with the language. However, we acknowledge that lower level EAL learners and class teachers will need support. This support will be both in class, and out of class (small groups of learners and planning with teachers).
Yrs 3 and 4	Parallel class (PYPP1)	The class teacher plans collaboratively with the PYP co-ordinator to develop appropriate units of enquiry. The class teacher will adapt the unit according to the needs of the learners. If possible, the learners will join their peers for maths, sports and music from day one.
Yrs 5 and 6	Parallel class (PYPP2)
Yrs 7 and 8 (MYP 1 and 2)	Parallel class (MYPP1)	The class teacher takes the class for approximately 30% English language support. The rest of the classes are taken by subject teachers. Subject classes are based on the content being covered in the relevant year groups, ensuring exposure to the curriculum in line with learners’ age groups. The English language support classes incorporate content from subject classes, and the subject teachers use EFL (English as a Foreign Language) strategies to ensure a language and content rich curriculum. Essentially every language class has content, and every content class contains language. Areas of interaction are central to the foundation classes.
Yrs 9 - 11	Parallel class (MYPP2)
Year 12	IELTS Preparation	Learners enrolled on IB Diploma programme have the option of taking IELTS (Cambridge International English Language Teaching System) classes in English in London, our adult EFL school. In addition, IB Diploma teachers use EFL strategies to ensure that learners develop language skills as well as specialist knowledge in their chosen subjects.