ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE
English as an Additional Language at Woldingham
We are proud of Woldingham’s diverse and vibrant international community. The EAL Department (English as an Additional Language) provides high-quality tuition and personalised support for girls whose first language is not English, whether they join us for a short stay or for the long term.
Our aim is simple: to enable every girl to become a confident and independent user of English, fully able to access the curriculum and participate in all aspects of school life.
We believe that girls benefit enormously from being immersed in an English-speaking environment from day one. For this reason, EAL students access mainstream lessons wherever possible, supported by specialist teaching which accelerates their language development.
Arrival and placement
On arrival at Woldingham, EAL students sit an adaptive English placement test, which identifies strengths and areas for development and determines their level on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) scale. Students are placed in one of two EAL streams to ensure they receive the appropriate level of support. Our careful placement process allows each girl to begin her Woldingham journey with confidence.
Students will take the Cambridge ESOL exam at the end of their first year. We would expect a Year 7 student arriving at A2 level to achieve B1 level at the end of Year 7 and a Year 9 student should achieve B2 level by the end of Year 9.
Specialist language support
EAL lessons are taught in small groups by experienced language specialists. This allows us to:
• Monitor progress closely
• Provide differentiated teaching
• Tailor lessons to individual needs
• Respond promptly when additional support is required
We offer two EAL routes for students, depending on their age and level of English on joining:
1. Mainstream + EAL support, where students will have three to six lessons of EAL support, depending on their age and programme. or
2. Foundation EAL course – Years 7, 8 and 9 – reduced timetable with daily EAL lessons and supervised study sessions until they are ready to move to Mainstream + EAL.
EAL lessons focus on developing academic English, improving grammatical accuracy, extending vocabulary and building fluency. Our teaching is interactive and engaging, with a strong emphasis on communication and active participation.
Where a student’s English level is below the expected CEFR standard for her year group, additional one-to-one support may be recommended. These individual sessions may focus on language development, academic writing or structured homework support, depending on the student’s needs. Additional fees apply for one-to-one tuition.
Our in-house EAL professionals can also offer additional private EAL tuition outside class time for students who would like to accelerate their progress. We find that face-to-face tuition at school produces better results than online tutoring offered by external companies. Private EAL lessons are charged termly.
A personalised experience
Every student is treated as an individual. We take great care in determining the most appropriate academic pathway for each girl.
Our designated study space provides a calm and supportive environment, where students can complete assignments and focus on their work, with a member of staff on duty to offer guidance. Students who need further help are encouraged to attend the school’s wider academic support opportunities, including:
• Subject Clinics (Years 7-9)
• Study Clubs (Years 10-11)
All students at Woldingham benefit from excellent pastoral support. Each girl is supported by her Form Tutor, who meets with her regularly to discuss her academic progress and wellbeing. This close communication ensures that international students feel supported both academically and personally.
Communicating with home
We understand how important clear communication is for families overseas. The EAL Department communicates regularly with parents and guardians by providing reports and grades to keep parents informed about their daughter’s progress. At the end of the academic year, EAL students will complete a general English assessment to determine their progress and achieve a CEFR level grading. We find that most girls progress well, taking pride in what they have achieved.
Wonderful weekends
Boarding at Woldingham is a home from home and weekends are active and varied.
Friday Fun is a highlight for our younger students, where movies, games, karaoke and pizza nights are organised.
On Saturday mornings many girls will be involved in team sports, such as netball, hockey, athletics, cricket and tennis. All boarders in Years 7-9 participate in Saturday Active, which includes activities such as roller skating, Pilates, cooking, cake decorating and much more. Before lunch, there is supervised study time for girls in Years 7-11.
On Saturday afternoons or Sundays, our weekend excursions offer boarders a wide range of experiences, with visits to historic places and exhibitions; active trips, such as watersports or cycling; and leisure trips including a meal out, going to the cinema and bowling.
Sundays tend to be quieter, with a later wake up, breakfast and Mass. In the afternoon, girls enjoy relaxing in our beautiful grounds or taking part in-house activities. Older students may choose to visit our local town or London, in groups.
Life beyond the classroom
Woldingham is a busy and dynamic school community. Girls are encouraged to embrace a wide range of extra-curricular activities, both during the week and at weekends.
Students can choose from over 100 clubs at lunchtime and after school, including music, sport, academic societies and recreational clubs. Students are encouraged to join at least three clubs as this is a fantastic way to meet new friends across year groups and learn new skills in a fun environment.
International community
Woldingham is one of 153 Sacred Heart schools across the world and the Sacred Heart goals of faith, community, intellect, social awareness and personal growth underpin our approach to education.
Our global connections help us celebrate the diversity of nationalities and cultures within our school. Girls are encouraged to feel proud of their heritage and confident in sharing their traditions.
The school has a designated International Coordinator whose responsibility is to organise whole school and boarding events to celebrate the diverse cultures at Woldingham such as Chinese New Year, Mexican Day of the Dead, Thai Songkran and Africa Day, among many others. Together with the International Ribbon (prefect), this ensures that our international students feel welcomed, valued and fully integrated into the Woldingham community. CLICK here for
Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR) 01883 349431 registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk woldinghamschool.co.uk