EAL (English as an Additional Language)

At Cambourne Village College, we take pride in celebrating the rich linguistic diversity of our school community. We are dedicated to supporting our English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners through tailored, high-quality teaching and comprehensive pastoral support, ensuring that all students thrive both academically and socially.

Students who require additional support with their English language skills are assessed using a system based on the Bell Foundation’s EAL framework. This assessment places students into one of five proficiency bands, ranging from Band A to Band E, ensuring that their individual needs are addressed according to their stage of language development.

A	New to English
B	Early Acquisition
C	Expanding Competence
D	Competent
E	Fluent

Bands A and B: Students who are new to English or in the early stages of language acquisition receive high-quality ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) lessons twice per week. These lessons are taught by experienced EAL specialists and utilise resources from Insight (Elementary and Pre-Intermediate levels) by Oxford University Press. Students focus on developing key language skills in small group settings, building both their language proficiency and academic confidence.

Band C: Students who are expanding their competence in the English language are invited to attend extracurricular ESOL lessons, providing additional opportunities for language development in a supportive environment. These lessons are held after school on Wednesdays and are taught by a specialist ESOL teacher, using resources from Insight (Intermediate level) by Oxford University Press. This supplementary support allows students to further refine their language skills and strengthen their academic confidence.

In the classroom, all staff implement a range of evidence-based strategies to ensure that high-quality teaching meets the diverse needs of EAL learners and provides them with the opportunities required to excel. These strategies are designed to support students at various stages of language proficiency, enabling them to engage meaningfully with the curriculum and make excellent progress.

At Cambourne Village College, we believe that language diversity is a key strength of our school community, and we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where every EAL learner can thrive. Our aim is to empower all students to reach their full potential and become confident, active members of our dynamic school community.

Home, Heritage and Community Languages

Students who are native speakers or have near-native fluency in a language eligible for examination have the option to take their GCSE from Year 9 onwards. Although this is not a timetabled subject, students receive regular support and guidance to help them prepare for and succeed in their exams.

There are currently GCSE courses for the following languages:

Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Bengali, Modern Hebrew, Urdu, Panjabi, Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese), Arabic, Greek, Gujarati, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish

If you have any questions or queries regarding EAL at Cambourne Village College, please contact International Leader, Helena Ground: Hground@cambournevc.org