The Bell Foundation

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

interactive map of England showing the proportion of EAL learners across the country, with the highest numbers in and around London, Birmingham, Manchester, Durham and surrounding areas

📍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 ⬇️

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

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

'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

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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.

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

🔊A decade of studies reinforce that proficiency in English is key to transforming outcomes for EAL pupils with high needs.

This latest analysis from Dr @ariel-lindorff.bsky.social & Prof Steve Strand OBE was commissioned by @thebellfoundation.bsky.social & Unbound Philanthropy.

➡️ shorturl.at/R57Jf

Data is key to developing effective education provision. But there is currently limited accurate national data on adults who need to learn English and their levels of proficiency. A marker should be added to the data collected by FE providers to better track learners’ needs: https://bit.ly/3UaSio9

Ofsted’s new focus on EAL is a step in the right direction The inclusion of English as an additional language in the new inspection toolkit means schools need to look again at this area of provision, writes Katherine Solomon

Ofsted's inclusion of EAL is a big and welcome change, says this charity leader – here's how schools can ensure provision in this area is visible and valued

The majority of future teachers will work in multilingual classrooms. Yet only 37% of early career teachers report that their training prepared them well for teaching #EAL pupils. Effective teacher training is urgently needed to generate and maintain EAL expertise in schools: https://bit.ly/4nSDEje

For the first time in years, Ofsted inspectors will be asked to explicitly consider how schools are supporting EAL pupils. What does this shift mean for schools?

In @tesmagazine.bsky.social, we outline these changes and how schools can build sustainable EAL provision: https://bit.ly/Ofsted-EAL

Blog: Seven Ways to Ensure Oracy Programmes are Effective for EAL Learners In this blog, we consider the key issues that policy makers need to consider to ensure that efforts to improve oracy in schools do not overlook the needs of EAL learners.

How can we implement effective #oracy programmes for EAL learners when 41% of early career teachers report feeling unprepared to teach multilingual classrooms?

There is an urgent need for effective teacher training and oracy programmes that help EAL learners build confidence: bit.ly/48ayhEo

@hughesdavid.bsky.social

Many speakers of English as a second language have skills and experience that are unutilised due to language barriers.
Investment in effective #ESOL provision is key to unlocking this potential. Discover our calls to turn this potential into reality: https://bit.ly/3UaSio9

@hughesdavid.bsky.social

Building oracy-rich learning for EAL learners - SecEd Supporting the oracy needs of EAL learners in all their subjects and practical and sustainable strategies for teachers

#Oracy skills are high on the #education agenda. Glynis Lloyd considers what #teachers need to know about teaching oracy to students who use English as an additional language (EAL) and offers 12 practical approaches for the classroom: buff.ly/sqOiPR8 #schools #edusky

#Oracy is important for success in education and later in life.
For all pupils to benefit however, the specific needs of #EAL pupils must be considered.
Teachers must provide learners with a structured approach that exposes them to language and builds their confidence: https://bit.ly/4nSDEje

Ahead of the release of the Curriculum & Assessment Review report, we've been thinking about how the curriculum can better support the needs of EAL learners.

Earlier this year, our article for Schools Week outlined our recommendations to meet the varied needs of EAL pupils: https://bit.ly/482UOVS

This #EuropeanDayofLanguages we celebrate the incredible linguistic diversity in schools.

Multilingual classrooms are the norm and our interactive story features experts, teachers, and learners who unpack the myths and opportunities around learning English, and what must change: bit.ly/eal-story

ESOL story - The Bell Foundation Interactive story showing how English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) transforms lives and why wider access and policy support are vital.

Working link here: www.bell-foundation.org.uk/our-work/eso...

Attending #ESOL classes is more than just acquiring a language – it can be life-changing.
Read and watch the inspiring stories of those who have overcome obstacles to learn English through ESOL classes and how it has transformed their day-to-day lives: https://bit.ly/43ZrTzW

Meet our Fellow Prof Steve Strand OBE, Prof of Education at @education.ox.ac.uk @ox.ac.uk. Steve’s research focuses on equity issues and social justice in relation to educational outcomes. Find out more about Steve ➡️ acss.org.uk/professor-st...