Induction Programme - Secondary

Initial interview:

Find out as much as possible about the pupil. (Previous education, strengths and weaknesses, standard of literacy in mother tongue, languages spoken, preferred name, names and ages of siblings, religion, family circumstances.) # NB This is an important opportunity to initiate positive home/school liaison and should not be hurried.
Discuss timetable and options if relevant.
Provide map of the school.
Fix starting date. (Allow 3 days for preparation and make sure EMA teacher will be available.)
Allow time to stress the school's appreciation of bilingualism and biliteracy, and the role of the parents in supporting a bilingual approach to learning. Strategies such as complementary schools, and preparing for school/homework by first discussing the task in the home language can help both school learning and the acquisition of English.
Keep information in pupil's file and pass copy to Head of Year, EMA teacher/ EMA contact in school.

If possible place in tutor group with pupil who has the same first language, or appoint as mentor an older pupil or TA from the same language group.
Consult with the tutor.

Prepare pupils for new arrival.
Select 3-5 volunteers to be class friends, if possible one who shares the pupil's first language. (If none volunteer, give them a consultancy role, i.e. ask them to interpret only when a key point in the lesson is not understood. It is important to avoid burdening them with too much responsibility).
Stress the importance of working as a team.
Fix date for first evaluation meeting.

"Look after her - you're in charge for 2 weeks.
Greet her when she arrives each morning.
Make sure she always sits in a group or with a partner.
Introduce her to each new teacher at the beginning of the lesson.
Encourage her to be involved in the lesson (watching, listening, joining in with activities.) Try teaching her some new words, but don't expect a lot of talk.
At break times show her around the school (including the toilets).
Make sure she doesn't get lost between lessons e.g. pass her over to the class friend responsible for the next lesson.
Arrange for someone to have lunch with her each day.
Work out between you how you will share all these responsibilities and write out a rota (including who is to sit with her in specific subject sessions).
Remember not to "baby" her. You have your own work to do and she will learn by watching you and feeling involved."

Newcomer met and greeted by 2 class friends including the one sharing her language (or bilingual mentor), then introduced to the Head of Year.
Class friends take her to form room and introduce to tutor during registration.
First session with class friends and EMA teacher or bilingual assistant. (Pupils withdrawn by prior arrangement with subject teacher concerned.)

Introduction and icebreaker.
Timetable in diary filled in.
"Fallback" class work explained in case ongoing work not appropriate. Pupil to record, in a bilingual journal, what she sees/ understands during a lesson. (This can serve as a useful basis for home/school liaison).
Class friends reminded of their duties.

Language assessment: First day or a.s.a.p. by EMA staff.
Maths assessment: by HoD Maths, and/or EMA staff.
Initial EMA assessments and recommended support strategies disseminated to appropriate teaching staff.

Ongoing meetings with new pupil, class friends and one adult, e.g. EMA staff, mentor or tutor with interpreter, with possibilities for monitoring cross-curricular progress.
Meetings to include:

First evaluation meeting: class friends, new pupil and EMA teacher. Collaborative assessment of class friends' performance and new pupil's progress. Copy sent to tutor. New pupil sets own learning targets.
Final evaluation meeting: including EMA teacher.

Pupil's learning skills and targets distributed to staff. (Rolling programme, new targets following new achievements. Length of programme about 3 weeks, but flexible, depending on need. In some cases it may be appropriate to appoint a second CF team.)

Taken from 'Reception programme for new pupils at an early stage of developing English' by Claire Edmunds, Plumstead Manor School, Greenwich.