Education questions - moving back to the UK. Any teachers out there?

[itswhereitsat]

I'm really hoping there are some teachers or teaching assistants out there who can help me.

I've lived abroad with my husband and two children for 10 years. They are both bilingual (English and a non European language). My sons are 12 and 8. I have supplemented their schooling with some homeschooling, using some UK curriculum books, online resources like Conquer Maths and Literacy Planet. Reading Eggs etc. The English that they learn at school is ESOL so not as in-depth as they would learn at school. They are obviously fluent in English but I feel that their written English is not as advanced as it should be for their ages, particularly the eldest. I was wondering whether schools in the UK would have experience of helping children in this situation or would they be left to sink or swim? I intend to arrange a tutor for the eldest on our return but I wondered how much the school would help us. Any advice much appreciated.

I think it depends on the school. International school might be your best bet as they will have experience with this, but most schools should help you to the best of their ability x

It depends whereabouts in the country you're moving too. Some areas have huge experience with English as an additional language. Other areas of the country will have little or no experience. Whereabouts are you moving to?

Private schools with an overseas boarding population will be used to offering english support.

As others have said it would depend on the school. The school where I teach now often have children arriving from other countries, the teachers would not be worried about a non English speaker or bilingual children who needed additional support initially. My last school wouldn't have known what to do and the children would have been given very little (useful) support.

You don't need a private school or international school if you're moving to a diverse area as a state school in a diverse area will be very used to EAL.

It really does depend on the school. I would definitely ask to meet with head of year and english teacher to explain the situation and ask if there would be any extra help available.

It depends where you move to. I’m in an area where quite a few children come from aboard knowing little English, and state schools are very accustomed to it. I think there were 22 different languages spoken by children at my DC’s primary school.

In some schools there aren’t any children at all whose first language is English.

It really does depend on the school. One secondary I worked at had brilliant EAL support, another one just threw the kids in at the deep end with no support at all.

We moved here when my dcs were in primary. There was no specific support and it took them about a year to catch up with the rest of the class. I would expect this to be more difficult in secondary.

We would be moving to the South Derbyshire area.
QueenofCBA - What country did you move from?
Whilst we don't have a school place at the moment looking at the schools they seem to be moderately multiethnic.