Scottish Qualifications Authority
Dundee City Council Bilingual Pupils’ Support Service
An English for Speakers of Other Languages Case Study
Background
Across the City of Dundee there are over 900 bilingual pupils. Many pupils are part of
the settled community and speak languages such as Bengali, Chinese, Punjabi and Urdu.
There are also ‘visiting bilingual pupils’ who stay in Dundee because their families are
there for relatively short periods of work or study or are asylum seekers or refugees.
Recently there has been a big increase in numbers of ‘New to English’ pupils especially
from Eastern Europe. The Bilingual Pupils’ Support Service (BPSS) is peripatetic
working in nursery, primary, secondary and special units. At present three Full-Time
Equivalent teachers work in secondary schools with 35 Stage 1 and 2* pupils who need
support to access the curriculum.
Issues Faced Prior To Starting SQA ESOL
Current research into classroom language distinguishes between the learner’s ability to
use language for social purposes and academic purposes. It is generally accepted that
language for social purposes can develop in two years or less and language for academic
purposes can take a minimum of a further five years.2
Gill Aitchison and Wilda McKinnon of Dundee City Council BPSS explained that Stage
1 learners who arrive in secondary school after S1 often struggle with academic language.
Despite the fact that they follow the school curriculum, have good study skills and high
levels of motivation they do not always receive grades that reflect their cognitive ability.
In Standard Grade English many do not have the cultural experience, language finesse or
understanding of English literature that enables them to understand metaphorical
language or undertake textual analysis.
The chosen ESOL Delivery Model
In August 2005 bilingual pupils in two Dundee schools, Morgan Academy and Harris
Academy, were given the opportunity to gain accreditation in ESOL for the first time
through the work of the Dundee BPSS. ESOL Units at Access 3 level, Intermediate 1,
Intermediate 2 and the English Language Study Unit at Higher were offered as an integral
part of other subjects in the school curriculum.
The Service already supported these pupils. The usual practice was to work with small
groups who had chosen to take seven Standard Grades and receive BPSS support for the
eighth subject. ESOL teaching delivery therefore matched in with what the schools had
already been doing, except that the pupils were working towards ESOL accreditation.
Dundee BPSS coordinated planning and delivery of ESOL teaching and assessment and
collaborated with subject teachers. The management teams in the schools supported this
project. All learning materials were provided by Dundee BPSS. After school “Supported
Study” sessions were held between October and Easter as there was not enough time
allocated on the timetable and these were very well attended.
Assessing Across The Curriculum
A key element in the success of the pilot was the collaboration with other subject
teachers, which allowed pupils to fulfil outcomes in ESOL units using evidence and, in
some cases, only slightly adapted assessments from other subjects. In the first example
Dundee BPSS worked with two S5 pupils undertaking an essay for Higher Art. The
BPSS department prepared an assessment for Outcome three (Writing) in the Higher
ESOL unit “English Language Study” (which had been prior moderated by SQA) that
enabled the pupils to see a model text on the work of two artists which gave them a
scaffold to complete the Higher Art essay.
In the second example S3 pupils undertaking the unit “Work Experience 1” at
Intermediate 1 were able to use the Talk assessment required for this unit for the
Speaking outcome of the ESOL Intermediate 1 unit “ESOL For Work and Study”.
In a third example the BPSS teacher worked with the Computing department to use an
email for Intermediate 1 Computing as evidence for the Writing outcome in Intermediate
1 ESOL unit “ESOL For Work and Study”. In addition the ESOL assessments for
Speaking are good practice for the Solo Talks which pupils have to do for Standard
Grade English.
A key benefit of this approach is that pupils are able to undertake ESOL assessments
which are relevant to them and their other studies and are more tailored to their interests
and needs.
The Challenges
In both schools there simply wasn’t enough time within the timetable to provide the
support needed to meet the ESOL assessment outcomes and so some work had to be done
outside school hours. A lot of discussion with pupils, guidance staff, subject teachers and
BPSS was needed to decide on an individual programme and timetable, and this is a time
consuming process.
The BPSS staff in both schools also had to devote time to develop and collate learning
materials, however with the advent of SQA-developed ESOL learning materials to
complement existing learning materials, this will reduce the time required to prepare
learning resources.
Benefits Gained By Candidate
Gill Aitchison and Wilda McKinnon state that ESOL qualifications provide a measure of
progress that wasn’t clear before, and enable pupils to take the next life step, whether it
be work, further or higher education. Gill Aitchison quoted the example of a pupil who
achieved the Everyday Communication double credit unit at Higher level in S5 in
2005/06. The pupil has progressed to Dundee College to study an HNC in Travel and
Tourism while undertaking the ESOL: Study-related Contexts unit together with the
external assessment required to achieve the full ESOL Higher Course. This pupil was
certain that he achieved the place at Dundee College because he had continued to study
English language. Gill Aitchison concurred that, as pupils progress into S5, many do not
wish to study for an English NQ qualification but still wish to continue to study the
English language as it helps them with other subjects. By undertaking ESOL
qualifications these pupils receive accreditation for their studies.
Furthermore, as pupils receive recognition for their English language acquisition, it lets
other pupils, teachers and parents see that they can achieve, thus boosting the self-esteem
of the ESOL pupils. Another pupil summed up the experience, “I find the course could be
beneficial to others like me as it involves study skills. I feel privileged to have the
opportunity to participate in the first Higher ESOL course in schools in Dundee.”
Benefits Gained By The School
In addition, there are benefits for the school too. Both teachers also believe that
undertaking an ESOL Unit or Course provides pupils with the confidence and the
transferable skills needed to perform better in other subjects, thus raising overall
achievement. According to one Dundee bilingual pupil who is applying to university, “I
learned language skills which I could adapt to other subjects. In the Scottish system the
Standard Grade English might not be the most suitable for those pupils who come to
secondary school in S3 like me. The ESOL courses as an alternative can help you with
other subjects.”
Since the ESOL qualifications have been levelled on the Scottish Credit and
Qualifications Framework (SCQF) schools can more easily understand how comparable
the ESOL qualifications are with other SCQF levelled courses. ESOL Courses and
qualifications from other awarding bodies are not so readily understood in many schools.
Furthermore, the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004,
which became law in November 2005, specifies that schools must meet the additional
support needs of children with English as an Additional Language. Provision of
accredited ESOL Units and Courses will also ensure that schools are complying with the
Act. ESOL provision is also quoted as good practice in HMIe HGIOS Part 4: Evaluating
Educational Provision for Bilingual Learners.
The Future
Dundee BPSS intends to extend ESOL provision to a third school, St John’s High School,
in the 2006/07 term. The two schools currently offering ESOL Units and Courses will
also present pupils for the external assessment in June 2007 as part of the Course.
Gill Aitchison concluded, “I believe that offering ESOL NQs to bilingual pupils who
arrive in Scottish Secondary Schools with little exposure to English is the way forward.
The Course raises their attainment and makes them more confident individuals. However
authorities and schools must invest in these pupils by allocating staff and resources.”
Further Information
For advice and further information on SQA’s range of ESOL Units and Courses please
visit SQA’s website www.sqa.org.uk/esol or contact either of the following:
Eunice McAllister
Business Development Manager
Tel: 0845 213 5519
Email: Alan.Wilson@sqa.org.uk
Margaret Allan
ESOL Development Manager
Tel: 07887 797087
Email: Margaret.Allan@sqa.org.uk
References
1
Stages of English language acquisition adopted by Scottish Executive based on the
work of Barns, M, Ellis, S, Hester, H and Thomas, A, Patterns of Learning, London:
Centre for Language in Primary Education, 1989, and Cameron, L, Writing in English as
an Additional Language at Key Stage 4 and post-16, London, OFSTED, 2003. Extract
discussed in Learning in 2 (+) Languages, second impression published by Learning
Teaching Scotland in 2006.
Cummins, J “Bilingualism and Special Education: Issues in Assessment and Pedagogy,
Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 1984. Extract discussed in Learning in 2 (+) Languages,
second impression published by Learning Teaching Scotland in 2006.
2