Walk into almost any primary school in England today and you will find a child who arrived speaking little or no English. Some came from Kharkiv, some from Lagos, some from Lyon. The teacher has thirty pupils and a curriculum to cover. Very often it is the teaching assistant who makes the difference between a child who sits silently at the back and one who starts to take part.

Support staff are rarely trained as language specialists, yet they spend more one-to-one time with new arrivals than anyone else. Small, consistent routines from support staff often matter more than any single intervention.

The first week sets the tone

New pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) usually go through a "silent period". They listen, watch and absorb, but say very little. This is normal and can last weeks or even months. A good teaching assistant does not rush it.

Simple things help:

• Pair the child with a buddy who is patient and, if possible, shares a language.
• Use visual timetables so the child knows what comes next.
• Learn how to say the pupil's name correctly and a few words of greeting in their language.
• Label classroom objects with pictures and words.

Strategies that work across subjects

Research from the Bell Foundation, which supports EAL learners across the UK, points to a handful of approaches that consistently pay off in mainstream classrooms.

Keep the thinking high, make the language accessible

A child new to English is not a child with low ability. Many have studied fractions, photosynthesis or history at a level above their classmates. Support staff can offer sentence starters, word banks and diagrams so the pupil can show what they know without being blocked by vocabulary.

Use the first language as a resource

Allowing a pupil to plan a story in Ukrainian or make notes in Portuguese before writing in English is not cheating. It is a bridge. Bilingual dictionaries, translated key word lists and peers who speak the same language can speed up learning considerably.

Talk before writing

Oral rehearsal is one of the most effective tools a teaching assistant has. Ask the pupil to say the sentence aloud, refine it together, then write it. This reduces anxiety and improves accuracy.

Working with families who do not speak English

Supporting the child also means reaching the parents. Letters home, consent forms and reports can be confusing even for native speakers. For families who have just arrived, they can feel impossible.

Many schools now keep a small library of translated templates for the most common letters. When something important needs to go home, such as a safeguarding notice, a special educational needs report or an exclusion letter, it is worth using a professional service rather than an automatic tool.

Written translation is only part of the picture. When schools need to discuss a child's progress, behaviour or wellbeing with parents who do not speak English, professional interpreting services ensure the conversation is accurate and sensitive. A qualified interpreter can convey nuance and emotion that a translated letter cannot, which is especially important for difficult topics like safeguarding or special educational needs. Many schools now book interpreters for parents' evenings and review meetings as a matter of routine.

Schools welcoming families from Ukraine since 2022 have found that a clear ukrainian to english translation of previous school records helps place children in the right year group and identify gaps quickly. Many of those families also hold older documents in Russian, and a reliable russian to english translation of report cards, medical notes or birth certificates avoids guesswork about a child's background.

The same applies to pupils arriving from French-speaking countries in West Africa, Belgium or Canada. French document translation services are especially useful for transcripts and assessment reports that use a grading system unfamiliar to British staff.

Spotting when something else is going on

One of the hardest judgements in school is telling the difference between a language barrier and a learning difficulty. Support staff are often the first to notice patterns. Does the child struggle with the same skills in their first language? Do parents describe similar difficulties back home? Translated records can answer these questions much earlier than waiting for English to develop.

If a concern persists after a few terms of good EAL support, raise it with the SENCo and ask whether an assessment in the pupil's first language is possible.

Wellbeing comes first

Many EAL pupils have experienced upheaval. Some have fled conflict, others have simply moved for a parent's job. Either way, they have lost friends, routines and a familiar language. A trusted adult who greets them every morning, notices when they are tired and celebrates small wins can make school feel safe.

Teaching assistants often fill this role naturally. Short check-ins at break, a quiet corner when things get overwhelming and a consistent face during transitions all build trust.

Making the most of limited time

Support staff are stretched. Few have dedicated hours just for EAL. These habits help squeeze value out of every minute:

• Pre-teach key vocabulary before a lesson rather than catching up afterwards.
• Keep a simple progress log so teachers can see what the pupil can now do.
• Share useful phrases and resources with colleagues across the school.
• Ask for short CPD sessions on EAL, which many local authorities offer free.

Measuring progress fairly

Standard tests rarely capture how fast an EAL learner is moving. A pupil might jump from no English to holding a simple conversation in a term, yet still score poorly on a written assessment. Support staff can help by keeping short notes on spoken progress, peer interaction and confidence, which give teachers a fuller picture at review meetings.

The long view

Most children learn conversational English within two years, but academic English can take five to seven. Patience matters. The goal is not just fluency, it is a pupil who feels capable, included and ready to learn, and support staff are often the people who make that possible day after day.

Walk into almost any primary school in England today and you will find a child who arrived speaking little or no English. Some came from Kharkiv, some from Lagos, some from Lyon. The teacher has thirty pupils and a curriculum to cover. Very often it is the teaching assistant who makes the difference between a child who sits silently at the back and one who starts to take part.

Walk into almost any primary school in England today and you will find a child who arrived speaking little or no English. Some came from Kharkiv, some from Lagos, some from Lyon. The teacher has thirty pupils and a curriculum to cover. Very often it is the teaching assistant who makes the difference between a child who sits silently at the back and one who starts to take part.

Support staff are rarely trained as language specialists, yet they spend more one-to-one time with new arrivals than anyone else. Small, consistent routines from support staff often matter more than any single intervention.

Support staff are rarely trained as language specialists, yet they spend more one-to-one time with new arrivals than anyone else. Small, consistent routines from support staff often matter more than any single intervention.

The first week sets the tone

New pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) usually go through a "silent period". They listen, watch and absorb, but say very little. This is normal and can last weeks or even months. A good teaching assistant does not rush it.

New pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) usually go through a "silent period". They listen, watch and absorb, but say very little. This is normal and can last weeks or even months. A good teaching assistant does not rush it.

Simple things help:

• Pair the child with a buddy who is patient and, if possible, shares a language.
• Use visual timetables so the child knows what comes next.
• Learn how to say the pupil's name correctly and a few words of greeting in their language.
• Label classroom objects with pictures and words.

Strategies that work across subjects

Research from the Bell Foundation, which supports EAL learners across the UK, points to a handful of approaches that consistently pay off in mainstream classrooms.

Research from the Bell Foundation, which supports EAL learners across the UK, points to a handful of approaches that consistently pay off in mainstream classrooms.

Keep the thinking high, make the language accessible

A child new to English is not a child with low ability. Many have studied fractions, photosynthesis or history at a level above their classmates. Support staff can offer sentence starters, word banks and diagrams so the pupil can show what they know without being blocked by vocabulary.

A child new to English is not a child with low ability. Many have studied fractions, photosynthesis or history at a level above their classmates. Support staff can offer sentence starters, word banks and diagrams so the pupil can show what they know without being blocked by vocabulary.

Use the first language as a resource

Allowing a pupil to plan a story in Ukrainian or make notes in Portuguese before writing in English is not cheating. It is a bridge. Bilingual dictionaries, translated key word lists and peers who speak the same language can speed up learning considerably.

Allowing a pupil to plan a story in Ukrainian or make notes in Portuguese before writing in English is not cheating. It is a bridge. Bilingual dictionaries, translated key word lists and peers who speak the same language can speed up learning considerably.

Talk before writing

Oral rehearsal is one of the most effective tools a teaching assistant has. Ask the pupil to say the sentence aloud, refine it together, then write it. This reduces anxiety and improves accuracy.

Oral rehearsal is one of the most effective tools a teaching assistant has. Ask the pupil to say the sentence aloud, refine it together, then write it. This reduces anxiety and improves accuracy.

Working with families who do not speak English

Supporting the child also means reaching the parents. Letters home, consent forms and reports can be confusing even for native speakers. For families who have just arrived, they can feel impossible.

Supporting the child also means reaching the parents. Letters home, consent forms and reports can be confusing even for native speakers. For families who have just arrived, they can feel impossible.

Many schools now keep a small library of translated templates for the most common letters. When something important needs to go home, such as a safeguarding notice, a special educational needs report or an exclusion letter, it is worth using a professional service rather than an automatic tool.

Many schools now keep a small library of translated templates for the most common letters. When something important needs to go home, such as a safeguarding notice, a special educational needs report or an exclusion letter, it is worth using a professional service rather than an automatic tool.

Schools welcoming families from Ukraine since 2022 have found that a clear ukrainian to english translation of previous school records helps place children in the right year group and identify gaps quickly. Many of those families also hold older documents in Russian, and a reliable russian to english translation of report cards, medical notes or birth certificates avoids guesswork about a child's background.

Schools welcoming families from Ukraine since 2022 have found that a clear ukrainian to english translation of previous school records helps place children in the right year group and identify gaps quickly. Many of those families also hold older documents in Russian, and a reliable russian to english translation of report cards, medical notes or birth certificates avoids guesswork about a child's background.

The same applies to pupils arriving from French-speaking countries in West Africa, Belgium or Canada. French document translation services are especially useful for transcripts and assessment reports that use a grading system unfamiliar to British staff.

The same applies to pupils arriving from French-speaking countries in West Africa, Belgium or Canada. French document translation services are especially useful for transcripts and assessment reports that use a grading system unfamiliar to British staff.

Spotting when something else is going on

One of the hardest judgements in school is telling the difference between a language barrier and a learning difficulty. Support staff are often the first to notice patterns. Does the child struggle with the same skills in their first language? Do parents describe similar difficulties back home? Translated records can answer these questions much earlier than waiting for English to develop.

One of the hardest judgements in school is telling the difference between a language barrier and a learning difficulty. Support staff are often the first to notice patterns. Does the child struggle with the same skills in their first language? Do parents describe similar difficulties back home? Translated records can answer these questions much earlier than waiting for English to develop.

If a concern persists after a few terms of good EAL support, raise it with the SENCo and ask whether an assessment in the pupil's first language is possible.

Wellbeing comes first

Many EAL pupils have experienced upheaval. Some have fled conflict, others have simply moved for a parent's job. Either way, they have lost friends, routines and a familiar language. A trusted adult who greets them every morning, notices when they are tired and celebrates small wins can make school feel safe.

Many EAL pupils have experienced upheaval. Some have fled conflict, others have simply moved for a parent's job. Either way, they have lost friends, routines and a familiar language. A trusted adult who greets them every morning, notices when they are tired and celebrates small wins can make school feel safe.

Teaching assistants often fill this role naturally. Short check-ins at break, a quiet corner when things get overwhelming and a consistent face during transitions all build trust.

Making the most of limited time

Support staff are stretched. Few have dedicated hours just for EAL. These habits help squeeze value out of every minute:

• Pre-teach key vocabulary before a lesson rather than catching up afterwards.
• Keep a simple progress log so teachers can see what the pupil can now do.
• Share useful phrases and resources with colleagues across the school.
• Ask for short CPD sessions on EAL, which many local authorities offer free.

Measuring progress fairly

Standard tests rarely capture how fast an EAL learner is moving. A pupil might jump from no English to holding a simple conversation in a term, yet still score poorly on a written assessment. Support staff can help by keeping short notes on spoken progress, peer interaction and confidence, which give teachers a fuller picture at review meetings.

Standard tests rarely capture how fast an EAL learner is moving. A pupil might jump from no English to holding a simple conversation in a term, yet still score poorly on a written assessment. Support staff can help by keeping short notes on spoken progress, peer interaction and confidence, which give teachers a fuller picture at review meetings.

The long view

Most children learn conversational English within two years, but academic English can take five to seven. Patience matters. The goal is not just fluency, it is a pupil who feels capable, included and ready to learn, and support staff are often the people who make that possible day after day.

Most children learn conversational English within two years, but academic English can take five to seven. Patience matters. The goal is not just fluency, it is a pupil who feels capable, included and ready to learn, and support staff are often the people who make that possible day after day.