Our Advisers can offer initial baseline assessments for new arrival pupils, using our own respected assessment framework, ‘The Portsmouth Pathway’ in both English and, wherever possible, first language. These include targets and strategies for on-going support. These cost from £422 plus travel time and expenses.
Advisers also offer identifying assessments for pupils with EAL who may also have a special educational need. They fall into two areas:
KS1: Holistic overview
This assessment is suitable for KS1 pupils and offers expert opinion based on the ‘hypothesis approach’. Background information, exposure to appropriate teaching strategies and rates of progress are examined to provide the school an indication as to whether a pupil’s needs are primarily due to acquisition of English or if the adviser believes something else is at play. Abilities in first language are key to this process and EMAS Bilingual Learning Assistants are involved wherever possible.
In primary, assessments usually include a meeting with parents and school staff, as well as in-class observation. In secondary, the assessment is more task-based and takes the form of a one-to-one interview and discussion with the pupil.
KS2-4 SEN/EAL assessment
This assessment can support identification of SpLD in pupils with EAL. Using the ‘Cognitive Assessment for Multilingual Learners: young learners’ Toolkit (CAMLyp), which has been normed for KS2 – 4 pupils with EAL, the outcomes of this assessment can strongly suggest specific areas of need associated with SEN e.g. speed of processing, auditory and visual memory difficulties and so on.
This assessment cannot identify SpLDs such as dyslexia but can suggest that these might be an area for further investigation and can direct Educational Psychologist time more appropriately.
SEN/EAL assessments cost £610 plus travel time and expenses.