Have you seen our new calls for change for ESOL? https://bit.ly/3UaSio9 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) can be life changing for those who are learning English. We are calling for a national policy framework to make English language learning more accessible to adult learners.

For #RefugeeWeek, we were delighted to speak with author Onjali Q. Raúf about her award-winning book, The Boy at the Back of the Class, which tells the story of a group of schoolchildren who befriend a newly arrived Syrian child who is new to English. Watch the interview: https://bit.ly/3S2zUQL

Refugee Week 2026: In conversation with author Onjali Raúf

YouTube video by The Bell Foundation

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It’s #RefugeeWeek! It’s time to celebrate courage. Our dedicated resource hub brings together a collection of practical EAL resources, insights, and strategies to support schools to nurture a place where all pupils can thrive. Explore the hub 👉 https://bit.ly/4vA75to

Multilingualism is a powerful asset. For World Day for Cultural Diversity, we’re highlighting how ESOL can unlock skills and opportunities. We spoke to Parwin about learning English and what it means for her life and future. Watch here: https://bit.ly/4dbX26k

Over one in five pupils in England speak English as an Additional Language - making multilingual classrooms the norm in many schools. But what opportunities might schools be missing when supporting EAL? View our full interactive story: https://bit.ly/4nSDHe8

Do you know a parent or carer of an EAL learner with SEND? Our new guidance helps families understand and navigate the support available in schools in England. Available in 10 languages and written in clear, accessible language, view the guidance here 👉 https://bit.ly/3OzER24

The government has committed to reviewing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision in England – so what must it consider? This is an opportunity to redefine how English language teaching can reach all who need it. Read more in FE Week: https://bit.ly/47UZ1Ks

We are celebrating 10 Centres of Expertise delivering quality EAL support across the UK! These Centres help schools embed inclusive EAL work. Exceed Teaching School Hub shares how being part of this network strengthens practice and supports learners’ English development: https://bit.ly/3P08ucC

Our Director Diana Sutton gave evidence to the APPG on Further Education & Lifelong Learning’s inquiry into Adult Education. She explained ESOL’s role in integration & employability, but rising demand, funding cuts & devolution leave many facing a postcode lottery. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4te2yvZ

Weekend read: How can students' home languages become a powerful tool for learning? 📚 This week we explore translanguaging and practical tips on how to draw on learners' full linguistic knowledge to boost engagement and support more inclusive, effective teaching: https://bit.ly/478vXi4

Blog: Translanguaging. How to Use Students’ Own Languages to Enhance Learning

In this blog, trainer and subject expert, Tom Beakes, takes a look at how translanguaging leverages students’ home languages, dialects, and English to enhance learning in multilingual classrooms.

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📣 We’re expanding our network of Partners! We are inviting Expressions of Interest from organisations ready to deliver Language for Results training and strengthen EAL provision in schools. Join us in improving learner outcomes and offer evidence-informed CPD. Apply: https://bit.ly/4rNT3CP

Call for New Licensed Partners (March 2026) - The Bell Foundation

We are seeking to recruit new Licensed Partners to run English as an Additional language (EAL) training.

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How can we balance language interventions and curriculum learning for EAL learners❓ Pupils thrive when mainstream classroom teaching enables them to access curriculum content and build language at the same time. Here are key practical considerations from our new guidance: https://bit.ly/4qpvIpK

Language learning is essential to supporting newly arrived EAL learners to integrate into their new school. Read more about how our EAL assessment Framework is helping schools to understand learners’ baseline level of English and inform tailored language provision. www.tes.com/magazine/lea...

How schools like ours are leading the way on integration

From language lessons to learning how to use self-checkouts in supermarkets, there are many ways schools can help young people newly arrived in the country to settle in

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Weekend Read: More than 1 in 5 pupils use EAL, yet schools often see this as a challenge rather than an asset. Discover how celebrating multilingualism can boost confidence, cognitive skills, and success in our latest article: https://bit.ly/3Kw21nF

schools week multilingualism glyns lloyd - Bing

Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

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For the National Year of Reading, secondary schools will be embracing a wide range of reading activities. But how can we consider the assets and needs of our multilingual learners to ensure they can take part fully? EAL expert Glynis Lloyd advises @seced.bsky.social: https://bit.ly/3NbJ2Az

National Year of Reading: Nurturing multilingual learners - SecEd

Practical strategies to build reading engagement for EAL pupils across subjects during the National Year of Reading

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We're delighted to announce the winner of The Bell Foundation Beacon Award for Excellence in #ESOL run by @aoc-info.bsky.social 🥁– 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲🏆 Blending English with sector-specific study, their project boosts confidence, progression & employability.👏 #CollegesWeek2026

We are disappointed in Greater Lincolnshire’s plans to de-fund ESOL. ESOL is a lifeline for many learners and is vital for community cohesion and skills development. Replacing with "one literacy qualification for all” cannot address the language needs of ESOL learners. Read in @feweek.bsky.social

FE Week@feweek.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🗣️ Greater Lincolnshire’s mayor will press ahead with plans to scrap publicly funded English language courses from 2027, despite a majority of consultation responses opposing the move https://feweek.co.uk/greater-lincolnshire-to-cut-esol-courses-from-2027-reform-uk-mayor-confirms/

📍What is the distribution of EAL learners across England? Our most recent analysis reveals that the amount of schools working with EAL pupils has grown significantly – meaning that more face the challenge of providing tailored support. Explore more in our interactive data story ⬇️ bit.ly/3JJVmGp

The new Ofsted inspection toolkit includes a section on EAL learners. Rather than waiting for inspection, schools can get ahead by evaluating and developing their approach to supporting EAL pupils. In our latest article we outline how schools can review their EAL provision in four simple steps ⬇️

SecEd@seced.bsky.social · 7mo ago

19% of secondary learners in England use EAL: Is your school meeting their needs? Sarah Moodie – @thebellfoundation.bsky.social – explores practical steps for auditing & improving #EAL provision, from CPD to classroom strategies, using structured frameworks: buff.ly/nXCHi4P #Teaching #Edusky

Potential cuts to local ESOL suggest the need for a national vision that prioritises equitable access to high-quality, local provision. Our Director outlines in @feweek.bsky.social why not only investing in but rejuvenating our ESOL offering is key to meeting skills gaps: https://bit.ly/3MD6ENN

ESOL can solve skills shortages but it needs a national vision

National policy around improving ESOL needs a sharper focus, or it risks being undermined by local opposition

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'Not only investing in, but rejuvenating our current ESOL offering can be the key to meeting skills gaps' Diana Sutton of @thebellfoundation.bsky.social on the need for a national ESOL strategy as councils toy with local cuts to provision

Thanks to Hamilton International School for sharing how they have strengthened their EAL provision by assessing learners' English proficiency. Key to their approach was achieving Accreditation by Language for Results International, our scheme which recognises quality EAL provision: bit.ly/ALFRI

Tes magazine@tesmagazine.bsky.social · 8mo ago

5 ways to use data to boost inclusion for pupils with English as an additional language

What does the latest EAL pupil evidence mean for schools? Our Director Diana Sutton explores the findings from our latest EAL research with @education.ox.ac.uk and what schools can do to support EAL learners to reach their potential. Read the article for useful insights: https://bit.ly/4acopxh

With Ofsted now looking at EAL provision, new data from @thebellfoundation.bsky.social offers some useful insights, as its director Diana Sutton highlights

What the latest EAL pupil evidence means for schools

Diana Sutton from The Bell Foundation outlines some key insights from new research on pupils with English as an additional language

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Launching our new evidence on #EAL attainment with @education.ox.ac.uk, we hosted a panel in Westminster exploring how EAL learner arrival time and English proficiency shape their achievement. Explore the quotes of our brilliant speakers below ⬇️ and the full report here✨: bit.ly/evidence25

This week our Director Diana took part in the panel at @aoc-info.bsky.social conference to launch their #AdultLearningPays campaign. For those who speak English as a second language, ESOL is a powerful tool for growth, economic resilience, and integration. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hTh0TJ

Congrats to all the #AoCBeacons finalists!🎉 We are proud to sponsor the Excellence in #ESOL Award, celebrating support that empowers learners & communities. Shout-out to 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲, 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲, 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲. More via @aoc-info.bsky.social: bit.ly/beacon-award...

With 1 in 5 pupils in England’s #schools speaking English as an additional language #EAL, ensuring inclusive practice is vital, especially in light of Ofsted’s new inspection framework. Sarah Moodie outlines 4 steps for reviewing your EAL provision: buff.ly/5m6o92y #edusky #education

Evaluating your primary school’s EAL provision: Four steps - Headteacher Update

Advice from The Bell Foundation to help schools evaluate provision for students using English as an additional language

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Our latest evidence from @education.ox.ac.uk shows that the later an EAL pupil joins school, the harder it is for them to catch up in education. Late arriving monolingual pupils do not face this same attainment penalty, however. Explore the findings in our data story: https://bit.ly/3JJVmGp

We've launched our latest evidence on EAL learner attainment with @education.ox.ac.uk. This builds on 10 years’ worth of research and reinforces the importance of assessing proficiency in English. We asked teachers for their key takeaways⬇️ bit.ly/vidcovsuf View the report: bit.ly/43YoaSk

Video interviews with teachers

The latest research from the University of Oxford is a 10-year follow up to the first piece of research looking into the educational achievement of EAL pupils in England. It provides new evidence about how an EAL learners’ time of arrival at school can impact their achievement – and why assessing proficiency in English is essential for schools to understand and unlock their potential. In this video, teachers tell about the implications of the research for their work.

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