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Teaching multilingual learners

Co-teaching

Plan, teach and review together. Practical guidance for subject and EAL teachers sharing responsibility for the same learners.

Build a shared planStart with a 15-minute meeting
Two teachers agree a shared task and roles, teach using a common model, then review individual learner evidence.
Both teachers contribute to the same goal; review what learners can do independently.

Plan the partnership

Agree shared responsibility

Define the subject goal, language demands and how both teachers contribute.

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Choose a teaching model

Match teacher roles and grouping to the learning need.

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Co-plan in 15 minutes

Agree the task, model, scaffold, roles and exit evidence before the lesson.

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Build a shared working plan

Record roles, resources, routines and assessment in an editable planner.

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Teach together

A worked science lesson

See how subject reasoning and language support fit one lesson.

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Scaffold during the lesson

Notice language barriers, intervene briefly and return responsibility to the learner.

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Support longer texts

Share the work of previewing, reading and checking understanding.

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Keep a shared task

Adapt access while retaining the same subject goal and meaningful challenge.

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Review and sustain

Assess learning together

Use individual evidence to distinguish language needs from conceptual gaps.

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Reflect on the partnership

Review learner independence and choose one adjustment for the next lesson.

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Manage the day-to-day work

Agree communication, resource ownership and workable absence routines.

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Train the team

Use a four-session pathway to build shared routines across a school.

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