At Archbishop Courtenay Primary School, we have a wide and diverse community with children speaking 38 different languages across the school.

The Young Interpreter Scheme® is an award-winning initiative which provides additional support to pupils who are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL), to their families and to schools.

We love to celebrate all languages spoken at ABC and regularly take time to learn new words and phrases through our daily activities, lunchtime clubs and through the curriculum topics.

However, our best teaching tool is the children themselves, who relish teaching us new words. Therefore, we are very enthusiastic to announce we have just launched the scheme at ABC. Children have had training to support their role, have been awarded certificates and badges, and they are equipped with resource packs to become Young Interpreters for those who arrive at our school speaking little or no English.

The Young Interpreters epitomise diverse and inclusive culture of our school.

The whole scheme is embedded within our school ethos, implemented and run by Young Interpreter Co-ordinator Mrs Joanna Mochol.

We are fully aware of the anxieties children may have when they start school and so we are on hand to support and encourage their language development. We use our skills and knowledge to support new learners of the English language so that they feel safe, settled and valued from the start of their school experience. To support our peers, we:

• are friendly
• smile
• give eye contact
• use gestures
• use drawings
• speak in our own language
• use picture fans
• are always ready to help