This NALDIC South West Regional Interest Group (RIG) Meeting was facilitated by Catherine Brennan and Yasmin Malik of Better Bilingual on Tuesday 20th November 2018 at Two Mile Hill Primary School, Bristol.

Catherine shared personal highlights from this year’s NALDIC26 Conference, held in Leeds on 17th November 2018, before Yasmin introduced our first guest speaker, Madge Dresser – Honorary Professor of History at the University of Bristol – who introduced her inclusive Bristol History Resources, entitled ‘I belong here!’

Brief presentations were also given by:

  • Dr Jing Huang from the University of Bath regarding the recent event, ‘Multilingual Storytelling by Children for Children’

  • Flo Avery from Jacari about their work tutoring EAL pupils: https://www.jacari.org/about-bristol

  • Dr Gail Forey from the University of Bath who introduced her recent project, ‘Language for Curriculum Learning: A Whole School Approach’.

Discussion groups followed, giving attendees the opportunity to further consider the topics above as well as ‘EAL Assessment Frameworks’ (led by Catherine Brennan, who also works part-time for The Bell Foundation), ‘Polish as an MFL’ (led by Heloise Kerr-Wilson of Gloucester Road Primary School, Cheltenham),  and ‘Primary school support for EAL families’ (led by Magda Lowson (EAL Lead) & Jane Smale (Class Teacher) from our host school, Two Mile Hill Primary.

Well attended by a variety of educational researchers and practitioners from schools, universities and EMA services in Wiltshire, Glos, South Glos, Somerset, Bath and Bristol, this South West RIG showed the growing interest in EAL in the region and particularly in collaborations between teachers and researchers, tying in nicely with the theme of the NALDIC26 conference.

Spring and Summer 2019 dates for the next South West RIGs are yet to be confirmed but attendees requested longer presentations by Dr Gail Forey  and  Dr Jing Huang  about their work, and  Bristol City Cllr Ruth Pickersgill has agreed to come and talk to the group about the ‘Schools of Sanctuary’ initiative: https://bristol.cityofsanctuary.org/schools-and-colleges

If you would like to be added to the South West RIG mailing list, please contact convener, Gayle Fletcher: head@gloucesterroad.gloucs.sch.uk

Categories: EAL

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