The ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) department’s goal is to provide students with the tools in English to succeed and flourish in the main school curriculum. In addition to tailored support for each student, the course includes developing academic writing skills, skimming and scanning skills to tackle lengthy academic texts and correcting any engrained grammar issues. ESOL students bring so much to the school and through the extra-curricular activities we offer they enrich the life of all at King’s Ely.

The Year 9 course is mainly focused on tackling different writing formats in preparation for the GCSEs to come. These include informal letters, formal letters, articles and essay writing. It includes a revision of all major tenses. Support is also offered in particular for the language-rich subjects of History, Geography, Religious Studies and English.

In Years 10 and 11, the course prepares students for the IGCSE ESOL and provides tailored support for their mainstream English course. It covers skimming a text for detail, summarising a text, structuring a discursive piece of writing, analysis of persuasive devices for discursive article writing, and descriptive writing techniques. Any recurrent grammar issues are also studied.

The A Level course is focused on the IELTS exam and offers intensive support on writing academic English. It includes structuring an academic argument, analysing data and graphs, techniques to approach long academic texts and builds up academic vocabulary.

In addition to offering academic support, we offer a host of extra-curricular activities, including English as an Additional Language (EAL) spelling competitions, EAL debating competitions, international days to share their culture and a chance to gain a language leader award from Anglia Ruskin University.