BCS ACCelerator - International Curriculum & EAL

PEdAL to the Metal

International students arriving at a UK boarding school need to hit the ground running – which can be hard if the rug is pulled from under their feet. 

Academically, new concepts and material can be even trickier to navigate than new friendship groups, when you don’t have the language required to digest them – acceleration is required. Overwhelming culture-shock and homesickness can cause many to withdraw, and outsider syndrome may be exacerbated by an inability to articulate thoughts and demonstrate authentic personality.

Bournemouth Collegiate School (BCS) has been trialling two new EAL programmes for lower-level learners, boosting their English hours to enable enhanced academic access across the curriculum before taking a deeper dive into wider offerings: The Accelerator.

The idea that more study and practice hours equates to faster absorption of language is nothing new, but the idea to provide international learners with a more tailored, more reactive course was born of an increasingly clear need to build stronger English language foundations before accessing wider courses. Open to Year 9 and Year 11, the two Accelerator courses prepare them for the rigours of GCSE and A’ Level respectively.

Elementary English does not equal elementary IQ

Kirsty Sharples, Head of EAL at the award-winning coastal independent school, said that, all too often, low level of English in a British school is interpreted as symptomatic of low intelligence or, worse, laziness. “At BCS, we don’t classify EAL as a special educational need,” she says. “We aim for every EAL student to be afforded the same opportunities as their native speaking counterparts, and we value their first language and cultural heritage as an integral part of what makes our school dynamic.”

The former Cambridge DELTA and CELTA instructor added that, whilst academic ability indicators, such as CAT4, can offer valuable insights, the Accelerator programme is a lens recognising the need for enhanced language support to better enable students to access the wider curriculum and reach their full potential. “Upping the offer has turned 60 per cent of participants’ timetables into focused EAL support, including preparation for Year 11 iGCSE and Year 9s for an appropriate Cambridge Suite exam,” she said. “We also spend time on study skills, vocabulary support for curriculum and instructions for exam access.”

“We have been developing stronger liaison with HoDs and subject department teachers to look at key vocabulary, language of rubric and other areas we can either prepare for or consolidate. It’s improved understanding of our students’ needs and how better to help them shine.”

Cambridge estimates that to reach B1 level takes over four to five hundred hours of discreet learning – with the same to reach B2. Accelerator, alongside other integrated lessons, allocates those 500 hours to language development, meaning at the end of the year, international students are much better placed to enter 6^th Form or Year 10 and be able to give the volume of cognitive space required to learn subjects, without language learning being a constant obstacle.

More foundation milage means greater subject gains 

Trebling the previous EAL provision has led to expedited progress and a more positive school experience for those taking part.

11-year-old Chloe, from China, started her Year 9 Accelerator in September, 2025 at a low A2 pre-intermediate level (Common European Framework) but is now functioning at secure B1 intermediate and is flourishing in her other subjects and looking forward to GCSEs.

“It was hard at the start because everything was English, English, English,” she said. “I wasn’t confident about making friends or asking questions. Science was very hard. But I’m much better now and can understand my lessons. It’s not all easy but the extra English has helped me understand more and now I can talk to my classmates.”

Her fellow boarder, Mustafa, 16, who began on the Year 11 Accelerator, has had a different journey but is similarly enthused. From entry level B1 at commencement, he recently scored and impressive 7 iGCSE – English as a Second Language - mock (equivalent to B2, or upper-intermediate).

“I have English-speaking friends now and I can start thinking properly about subjects I want to take in the future” he said. “I am not perfect, and I still have a lot of vocabulary to learn, but I can understand my lessons well and I can talk about anything, so I am staying here for A’ Levels now.”

“A more powerful lift-off!”

Feedback from colleagues reflects increased empathy with both international students and their EAL teachers. Chris Tandy, BCS Head of Maths, said: “In the past we have witnessed some great mathematicians not reaching the heights they deserve in  examinations because their English level prevented a full grasp what was being asked of them. For our international cohort, questions in any subject are going to test their proficiency in the language as well. We have been able to liaise with Kirsty and her team, examining areas of vocabulary, in particular, that enable them to reach the results their subject ability deserves.”

Emma Gates, Head of Science at BCS, welcomes the approach. “With hindsight, we can see clearly how this extra focus and time produces a more powerful lift-off,” she said. “It’s been a real eye-opener for us in terms of concrete steps we can take with the EAL Department, such as glossaries and word families and collocations to further springboard our non-native students into the curriculum. The progress is noticeably swifter, and lessons become more meaningful.”

It’s less than a year into its inception and not without its pit stops, but, with continued engineering, including flexible and organic real-time schemes of work, and fuelled by interdepartmental support, The Accelerator Programme is already leaving its predecessors in the dust. 100 per cent of Year 11 participants are now set to take A’ Levels of their choice at BCS, with Year 9s stepping confidently into their GCSE options in the coming academic year.

By putting a little more in the tank, Accelerator aims to remedy false starts and let international students embark on the key stages of their academic journey from pole position.

Find out more about EAL and International Curriculum at BCS, HERE

Author: Miles Skinner, EAL Teacher