Building Bridges Through Language, Leadership and Learning

Tag: Educational Leadership

  • Why an EAL Specialist is Not an English Teacher

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    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    Why an EAL Specialist is Not an English Teacher by Amanda Archbald There is a persistent assumption in schools that EAL sits within English. It is an easy conclusion to reach. Multilingual pupils are learning English, English teachers teach English, so the responsibility must sit there. In practice, this is where provision begins to weaken.…

  • Supporting Multilingual Children During Distance Learning: What Parents Can Do at Home

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    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    Supporting Multilingual Children During Distance Learning: What Parents Can Do at Home by Amanda Archbald Periods of uncertainty can place pressure on families in many different ways. When schools move to distance learning, parents often find themselves supporting lessons, routines and emotional wellbeing all at once. For multilingual families, an additional question often emerges. How…

  • Why PASS Data Matters More Than We Think

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    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    Why PASS Data Matters More Than We Think by Amanda Archbald In schools, we are very comfortable talking about grades. We analyse NGRT scores.We track CAT4 profiles.We monitor predicted outcomes and intervention impact. What we do far less confidently is talk about how a pupil feels about themselves as a learner. And yet, confidence is…

  • What CAT4 Made Me Reconsider

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    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    What CAT4 Made Me Reconsider by Amanda Archbald CAT4 is a familiar presence in many schools. It is trusted, widely used, and often referenced with confidence in conversations about potential, progress, and placement. For a long time, I accepted it as part of the background architecture of school data. More recently, working at a whole-school…

  • When Language Lives in the Background

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    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    When Language Lives in the Background by Amanda Archbald It can be unsettling for parents to hear that their child may benefit from additional language support, particularly when that child speaks English confidently and has been educated in English for most, or all, of their schooling. For many families, a recommendation linked to language feels…

  • Language Is Not a Subject, It Is the Medium

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    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    Language Is Not a Subject, It Is the Medium by Amanda Archbald When we talk about language in schools, it is often positioned as something that belongs to a particular lesson, department, or group of pupils. English lessons focus on language. EAL or multilingual support addresses language gaps. Subject teachers deliver content. This separation feels…

  • Week 2: Language lives in the classroom

    by

    Amanda Archbald

    Content

    Week 2: Language lives in the classroom by Amanda Archbald Classrooms are often full of routines, expectations, and good intentions. They are busy, purposeful spaces where learning is meant to feel dynamic and engaging. For many multilingual learners, however, classrooms can also be overwhelming in ways that are easy to miss. Multiple accents. Rapid instructions.…