ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)

Your child can receive personalised support through Dover Court International School English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme if English is not their first language. Open to learners from Year 1 to Year 8, the programme helps your child build confidence, develop their English skills, and fully engage in classroom learning and school life.

TAILORED APPROACH

PERSONALISED EAL SUPPORT

Every child deserves to thrive, and we make sure language is never a barrier. Our EAL programme helps students fully access the curriculum across all four key skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Our teachers are trained to adapt lessons to meet each child’s needs, and students learn alongside their English-speaking classmates while attending focused EAL lessons in place of Modern Foreign Languages.

Small, personalised lessons and regular progress assessments ensure each student continues to grow in confidence and ability throughout the year. With the right balance of challenge and support, every child is empowered to succeed, no matter where they begin their English journey.

EAL Curriculum | Dover Court International School - Image-50-50

HOW WE TEACH EAL

We know that every child’s journey with English is unique. That’s why our EAL programme provides personalised support to help each student unlock their potential. In Primary (Years 1 - 6), EAL is delivered through two tailored approaches, ensuring every child is supported and challenged at the right level to fully engage with the curriculum. In Secondary, full support is available up to Year 8, with the option to extend to Year 9 if required.

Primary Partial Support

This stream is perfect for students who can confidently follow core curriculum lessons but still benefit from a little extra help along the way.

Dedicated EAL classes in place of Mandarin.
Extra reading support to strengthen fluency and comprehension.

Primary Full Support

For students who are newer to English or need a little more time to build their skills, our full support programme provides a strong foundation for success.

EAL lessons in place of Mandarin and English.
Small-group phonics sessions to build pronunciation and confidence.
Extra reading, group, or one-on-one project work for personalised progress.
In-class support during subjects like Maths or project work, whenever needed.

EAL Curriculum | Dover Court International School - Feature Cards

Secondary Full Support

In Secondary, students continue receiving the care and guidance they need to thrive as independent learners.

Dedicated EAL lessons in place of Modern Foreign Languages and ECAs.
In-class support during selected subjects to boost confidence and understanding.
A supportive route that helps students unlock their full academic potential.

TRACKING EAL PROGRESS

MEETING YOUR CHILD WHERE THEY ARE

Every child’s journey is unique, and we want your child to feel confident and supported from the very first day. As part of the admissions process, we assess their English skills across reading, writing, speaking, and listening, using the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) as our guide.

This helps us understand your child’s strengths and determine the level of support they need to thrive, both academically and socially. It also helps you understand and track their progress over time, giving you a clear picture of how your child is growing in confidence and ability.

GRADUATION AND ONGOING SUPPORT

CELEBRATING THEIR PROGRESS

Our goal is for every student to feel confident, capable and independent in English. We regularly assess your child’s progress throughout the year, allowing us to tailor lessons as their skills and confidence grow.

Once they reach the agreed level of proficiency across reading, writing, speaking, and listening, they graduate from the EAL programme, but our support doesn’t stop there. We keep a close eye on their progress and provide gentle guidance to ensure they continue to thrive as they explore new areas of the curriculum.