From EAL to Excellence: Two BSKL Success Stories

BSKL Year 12 students Daisy and Sunny have every reason to celebrate their academic achievements.

After all, their recent IGCSE results revealed that they have achieved grades beyond their expectation – 1A*, 3As and one grade 8 for Daisy, and 1 A*, 1A, 1B and three grade 8s for Sunny.

They achieved these great results despite starting in BSKL as EAL (English as an additional language) students in Year 9.

At BSKL, our EAL programme gives students the support they need, tailored to their individual English levels,so they can thrive academically while developing their English. This personalised approach helps students build language confidence rapidly, supporting them to access the curriculum and work towards the same high academic outcomes by the time they get to IGCSE.

For Daisy, although she began her studies in BSKL as an EAL student, it didn't take long for her to move into a more advanced group where basic English comprehension was the norm.

She credits BSKL’s EAL team for providing hands-on activitiesand constant guidance to help her understand English.

“We would do mock job interviews and practise English in a fun and engaging way,” she said, adding that her constant practice allowed her to understand more complex concepts in IGCSE subjects like Business Studies and Geography.

Sunny’s tale is slightly different. With very little English comprehension to begin with, she relied on a translation device to help her catch up with her studies.

“Even until Year 11, I was still in the EAL group. But I still pushed forward to take my IGCSE subjects that I’m confident that I could ace in,” she said.

Having dedicated themselves to their studies, they were exhilarated to see their hard work reflected in such exceptional results.

“It felt amazing; it felt like all my hard work was worth it,” said Daisy.

“It was a wonderful and exciting time. Now I feel ready going into Sixth Form,” said Sunny.

Both expressed hope that they will continue achieving great results in their Sixth Form, even though they no longer need EAL support and are doing things more independently.

Meanwhile, BSKL Assistant Head: Pathways and Student Support Mr Daniel Green, who oversees the EAL programme, said he was immensely proud of the IGCSE achievements of Sunny, Daisy and other students who have come through the EAL programme.

“It is amazing to see how their dedication to building their English fluency has now led to such outstanding results. While supported by the dedication of BSKL’s EAL team, these results reflect the students’ remarkable growth, hard work and commitment to our value of Be Ambitious. These students truly embody BSKL’s values and I look forward to their continued success at A-level!” he said.