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EFL (English as a Foreign Language)

At Clifton we have educated students for whom English is not their first language for many years and their special needs were catered for by agencies outside the school. With current numbers at around 40, an in-house unit was inaugurated in September 1994 in the Coach House, on the floor below our SEN department.

Staff
Head of EFL:	Mr Ben Royston Dip TESOL CertTEFL
Teachers:	Mrs Helen Bradley BA (Hons) RSA CELTA Miss Chablis May BA PGCE

Purposes

• To aid in all respects new students’ adaptation to life at Clifton, bearing in mind the variety of differing backgrounds and cultures which they represent.
• To develop students’ confidence, particularly by the improvement of linguistic skills.
• To integrate each student as quickly and smoothly as possible into the mainstream of the school on all fronts.
• To further students’ knowledge and understanding of British customs and culture.
• To provide continued support, especially pastoral, throughout each student’s stay at Clifton.
• To provide mainstream curriculum support where necessary.

Guidelines

• To identify each student’s individual level and to tailor resources to cope best with the needs presented.
• To give opportunity to develop all four languages skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, with particular focus on oral communication.
• To group students by ability so as to facilitate meaningful, communicative teaching and learning. Students are taught either individually or in small groups in the interest of authentic, communicative teaching and learning.
• To make use of all relevant resources and materials (games, realia, CDs, visual aids, computer software etc)
• To encourage and monitor the reading of literature which meets the needs and interests of each student.

EFL Trips

Every year there are two EFL trips for pupils.

Year 7 trip around Bristol

To learn about Bristol by visiting the historical and cultural sites of Bristol. In previous years this has included the SS Great Britain, Museums, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the M Shed Museum and the Banksy exhibition.

Year 8 Trip to Oxford

Year 8 visit Christ College Oxford every year. Oxford, considered by many to be the home of the English Language, offers a chance for the pupils to learn all about the famous University and see the ‘Harry Potter’ type rooms. In the afternoon there is also a chance to go punting!

At the end of their time in Year 8, all the pupils sit the Preliminary English Test (PET) which tests their speaking, reading and writing skills. A certificate of achievement is also available at the end of their time in The Pre.

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