inclusive education Archives - Education North Tyneside

Every Child Achieving and Thriving: An EAL Teacher’s Perspective on an Invisible Cohort

The Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper positions itself as a bold step toward a more inclusive education system. It promises early identification, consistent national standards, and a commitment to ensuring that no child is “side-lined”. As an English as an Additional Language (EAL) teacher, I welcome this ambition. Inclusion matters. Early intervention matters. High‑quality teaching matters. But…

A Sense of Belonging

Creating a sense of belonging for EAL (English as an Additional Language) learners is about making sure they feel safe, seen, valued and connected in school, socially, emotionally, culturally, and academically. So what does “belonging” look like for EAL learners in schools? Seeing their Identity Reflected and Valued A sense of belonging grows when EAL…

Growing Up Autistic: What Children Want Schools to Understand

The Language and Communication Team (LCT), Education North Tyneside’s specialist teaching team supporting language, communication and autism in educational settings, recently reflected on findings from a large UK study involving 136 autistic children aged 8–14. The research explored autistic pupils’ experiences of school, relationships and identity, placing children’s voices firmly at the centre. It highlighted both what helps autistic…

Together We Fly

Together We Fly is one of five creative, multilingual projects offered to schools and community groups as part of the Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages 2026. The project invited children and young people to express themselves in any language, their home languages, languages they are learning, or languages they are curious about, while celebrating culture, friendship and unity. Sharing feelings Participants were…

Reasonable Adjustments & How They Relate to EAL Learners in School

“Reasonable adjustments” come from the Equality Act 2010, which requires schools to remove barriers so pupils with disabilities (including many SEND profiles) can access learning. EAL status alone is not a disability, so the duty to make reasonable adjustments does not apply because a child is EAL. However, many practices that are good for EAL learners overlap with reasonable adjustments, and…

Inclusive Maths Classrooms

Inclusive mathematics classrooms are built on the belief that all pupils can succeed in maths when barriers to learning are anticipated and removed from the outset. Rather than relying on individual interventions as the first response, the most effective inclusion strategy is high quality, inclusive everyday teaching that benefits everyone – especially pupils who find learning hardest. Our Inclusive Maths Classrooms…

Adaptive teaching: same lesson, different learners

Adaptive teaching is no longer a ‘nice to have’: it is essential for schools striving to meet the diverse needs of learners in today’s classrooms. The recently published Ofsted tool kits, have inclusion as a golden thread running through aspects of school life. With increasing recognition of the importance of inclusion, differentiation, and responsive pedagogy, teachers…

The New Writing Framework and EAL learners

A Fresh Start for Teaching Writing Writing remains one of the most complex skills to both teach and learn. Recognising this, the Department for Education (DfE) has introduced a new Writing Framework (July 2025) designed to raise writing standards in primary schools. The framework focuses on explicit teaching, oral rehearsal, and writing with purpose across…

Supporting EAL learners with maths

Supporting EAL Learners in Mathematics: Understanding the Challenge Mathematics is often perceived as a universal language, but in reality, it is deeply rooted in linguistic understanding. For learners of English as an Additional Language (EAL), the challenge is not always the mathematical concepts themselves, but the language used to express, explain, and apply them. Many…

Celebrating 21st NALDIC North East RIG: Supporting EAL Learners with Speech and Language Challenges

On Thursday 16th October 2025, Diane Embley and Rashda Salamat from Education North Tyneside’s Inclusive Learning and Achievement Service (ILAS), hosted their 21st meeting of the North East Regional Interest Group (RIG), a forum for educators dedicated to supporting pupils learning English as an additional language (EAL). This meeting focused on strategies to support EAL learners…