The new Ofsted inspection toolkit makes explicit something that's been implied for years: effective EAL provision is whole-school EAL provision. It's about what every teacher is doing in every lesson, as well as what specialist support the EAL team can offer alongside.
For the first time, inspectors have clear criteria for evaluating how schools support pupils at the early stages of learning English. The six expectations (on page 20 of the State funded School Inspection Toolkit) matter because they define what "good" looks like. But like most policy documents, the toolkit tells you what to do without explaining how to do it.
Understanding "Core Strategies"
In our work with schools, we've found it helpful to distinguish between three levels of support. Core strategies are the toolkit of techniques that every teacher should be using in every classroom - the foundation that enables mainstream participation. When those aren't quite enough, enhanced support (from a TA or coaching from the EAL coordinator) helps keep the pupil in class with their peers. Only when a teacher really cannot support a pupil despite good core teaching and enhanced support do we consider specialist provision: intensive, expert intervention that still aims to maximise time in the mainstream.
Heddle have termed this ‘The Heddle Framework’. This approach focuses squarely on the school's capacity to support bilingual pupils, rather than on how their individual needs separate them from other pupils. The role of the EAL specialist is to ensure that every teacher has the core skills and enhanced support they need.
High Expectations Built on High Participation
Ofsted criterion: "Leaders and teachers recognise that these pupils already speak at least one language, and do not lower their expectations of them."
It's easy to insist on "high expectations" but much harder to put it into practice consistently. We've found that focusing on participation, not language, helps. When a pupil comes for EAL support, they want to do all the things that language allows them to do, from learning in the classroom to making friends. Emphasising 'participation' keeps our eyes on that goal.
In practice: Make groups of three rather than pairs for newly arrived pupils. Encourage first language use to explore ideas. Plan for vocabulary so all learners see key phrases in context and have opportunities to use them.
Accurate and Regular Proficiency Assessment
Ofsted criterion: "Teachers assess pupils' English language proficiency accurately and regularly."
The Department for Education may require us to report on EAL status, but proficiency in English is what predicts academic outcomes. Good assessments focus on curriculum language and curriculum tasks and translate findings into actionable recommendations for teachers: what core strategies are working, what first-language specific support is needed, and what the pupil should be able to do next.
In practice: Consistent assessment for every new pupil. Results inform core strategies (what needs to happen in every lesson?) and enhanced support (pre-teaching sessions, writing interventions). Proficiency insights - not raw data - accessible to teachers.
Structured Opportunities for Academic Talk
Ofsted criterion: "Teachers recognise that providing opportunities for pupils to talk with staff and peers during lessons is particularly important."
Language develops through purposeful use. But there's a crucial difference between "talk time" and structured academic dialogue. Simply asking pupils to "discuss with a partner" isn't enough if EAL learners don't have the language frames to participate meaningfully.
In practice: Provide sentence stems before discussion ("I think... because..."). Model the kind of talk you want to hear. Use collaborative structures that require language use and give longer thinking time before pairing and sharing.
Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
Ofsted criterion: "Teachers focus on the vocabulary pupils need, including subject specific vocabulary.”
Vocabulary is the key to proficiency, and proficiency is the key to attainment. Focus your attention on Tier 2 vocabulary - words used across subjects that benefit from explicit support but are best learned in the classroom. Pre-teaching is often effective if the class teacher reinforces words in context.
In practice: Pre-teach 3-5 key words or phrases and refer to them in the lesson. Teach vocabulary explicitly and in context: talk about meaning and how words are used. Use visual support alongside verbal explanations. Model how students should record vocabulary.
Deliberate Language Development
Ofsted criterion: "Teachers develop and extend pupils' language carefully and deliberately, with plenty of repetition."
The basic recipe for language learning is exposure + meaning + use. Deliberate development means introducing words, phrases and patterns, providing opportunities to practice them and recycling them in multiple lessons. Most teachers add most value by showing how language works in their subject: prioritise paragraph structures, sentence frames and key phrases.
In practice: Use your talk strategically - it's an important model. Keep EAL learners involved in stretching activities and vary the output you expect rather than simplifying the task. Return to key vocabulary in subsequent lessons. Use explicit grammar instruction sparingly, to clarify and improve rather than to teach.
Making Core Strategies Visible
Ofsted's new toolkit asks us to support EAL learners in every lesson. This changes the role of the EAL coordinator, from someone who primarily offers small group support to someone who primarily leads provision across the school.
When core strategies are working well, most EAL pupils don't need anything else. When they do need something more, that's when enhanced support or specialist provision becomes relevant. But core strategies come first, and they're everyone's responsibility.
Want to hear more about the Heddle Framework? Join the free Heddle community today to access more expert insight, practical support, free monthly masterclasses, and a thriving EAL community.
And if you’re looking for more advice on Ofsted and EAL, Heddle have produced a practical guide based on the new inspection toolkit. Get in touch at Hello@heddle-eal.com
About the Author
Robert Sharples is founder of Heddle EAL and author of Teaching EAL: Evidence-based Strategies for the Classroom and School. He works with schools and multi-academy trusts to develop sustainable, evidence-based EAL provision. Find out more at www.heddle-eal.com or connect with Rob on LinkedIn.
