Whole-school language and inclusion policies
Turn a policy statement into an agreement that staff and learners can act on.
Define the purpose
State how the school will support access to curriculum, English development, participation and the maintenance of learners’ language resources. Explain where the policy applies, who owns it and when it will be reviewed.
Agree classroom language use
Allow purposeful use of familiar languages to activate knowledge, investigate concepts, plan, compare terms and rehearse. Explain when an English outcome is needed and help learners bridge towards it. Check assessment-specific requirements before deciding which supports are appropriate.
Plan communication and resources
Specify how essential notices, induction information and meetings become accessible to families. Agree how bilingual resources are selected, checked and shared, and who coordinates interpreting when it is needed.
Connect policy to practice
Attach examples for classrooms, admissions, library, assemblies and extracurricular activities. Give each commitment an owner, a manageable action and a review question. Include learners and families in the review.
What this can look like
A workable classroom agreement might say: “You may use languages you know to plan and clarify meaning. For this task, your final explanation is in English. Use the bilingual word bank and partner rehearsal to connect your ideas to that explanation.” Teachers explain the reason for the final language choice.
Responsibilities and review
School leaders own the policy; the EAL lead coordinates examples and staff support; phase and department leaders review implementation. Consult students about whether they can use their language resources and understand the expectations.
Build or review your school language policy →
Plan one action
Choose a manageable action, give it an owner and decide how you will hear from learners before reviewing it.