Amanda Archbald

My professional background spans Media, secondary English, ESL, bilingual education, Spanish, and whole-school multilingual provision. I have taught learners from early years through to adults, across multiple countries and education systems, and I currently work in an international school context in Abu Dhabi. Over time, my work has increasingly focused on how schools design provision for multilingual learners, not only within individual classrooms, but at a systems and leadership level.

I am particularly interested in the intersection of language, inclusion, and school culture. I believe that multilingualism should be approached as an asset, and that language development is a shared responsibility across the curriculum. Deficit labels and framing often obscure what pupils can do, and what schools can do differently. My work aims to bring clarity, precision, and practicality to these conversations.

This site is a space for reflective and applied writing. Here, I explore classroom practice, whole-school provision, leadership decisions, and the everyday realities of supporting multilingual learners. The focus is on building understanding rather than blame, and on strengthening systems so that inclusion is sustainable rather than reactive.

If you are a teacher, leader, or school working through questions of multilingualism and language development, this space is intended to support thoughtful reflection, informed decision-making, and meaningful change in practice.

In Memory

This work is shaped not only by professional experience, but by personal encouragement.

This site is dedicated to my elder sister, whose belief in education, growth, and persistence pushed me to begin my M.Ed., even when I doubted myself. Her encouragement continues to influence how I think, lead, and learn.

RIP Sheryllan