Primary school for 5yr old non-english speaker:private or state?

[ugilad]

Hi!

We are relocating to London in August. DS (born nov-2007) is going to be enrolled in his 1st year of school. Even though he is receiving private tutoring, he is still not an English speaker.

I wonder if someone has an opinion on going private or state?

We need the teachers to be supportive and patient with him for the first few months, until he gains confidence in the new language, and I hear many conflicting opinions on London state schools.

Any thoughts?

I would imagine more state schools are used to receiving non english speakers than private, 10% of our children are non english speaking when they start and we're a small rural school, some of the larger town/city schools can have upwards of 40% non english speakers

Think I would agree. State school.

Not all private schools will take a child who does not speak English. And most schools, state or private, will now be full for September.

Do you know whereabouts in London you will be living? I think what you are saying is that you would like the right school for your child. If you were able to let us know which area you are coming too I'm sure you'll get more specific advice - possibly contradictory, but you never know!

Well, we are looking at Golders green or west hampstead, but we are open to ideas

I'd go for one that had lots of EAL students. That way you have teachers, TAs etc who are used to children learning English. What language(s) does your dc speak.

It's about picking the right school for your child. There is some snobbery about schools that have a high number of EAL learners, people think their own child will be held back.

A work colleague (when I was working in London) was dismissive of a school because he didn't want his child to learn a song in Punjabi. One song. I had a teacher in primary school who was welsh, she taught us a song in welsh, we loved it, we loved eating the welsh cakes as well.

If a school has a number of children who speak one particular language (be that polish, urdu or BSL) they often employ bilingual TAs.

Have yuo considered Finchley? I mention it because it is quite culturally diverse. Oh and I used to live there and really liked it.

My brothers step daughter started at junior level as a non english speaker. We are not in a inner city and the school (state) doesn't have mant non english speakers.

But the school were supportive and got specialised help in. I think she started in Year 4 and by Year 5 they said she was achieving the average Year 6 level so obviously didn't hold her back! As far as I know db and his partner were happy with school. I would also say that she didn't stay a non english speaker for long at all. She picked it up quicker than I could ever imagine.

I find that starting with state is a good route - they do have better facilities that private (which you will usually need to pay extra for) plus some privates ask for a english test.

Have you looked to see if you have a bi-lingual school near where you are moving to? If you plan to stay in UK, then return home, then that will help with transition both ways, esp something like French where they do CNED. I would say we have 90% at our school not native speakers. A good chunk, as they get older, are almost bilingual. Its important to speak english at home.

How do I identify which languages are spoken in the school?
Ee is the percentage of the students who have EAL(English as a second language) but that can be a large concentration of a specific language, or very diverse - how do i know?

it doesnt matter what the language is. In most of London there will be diverse languages, I think in my DDs school the number is 30 languages or something around that, and a large proportion come with minimal English.

What matters is that the school and teachers have the experience of dealing with children with EAL, and understand the benefits in the long run of having EAL, and know it is not something that should hold a child back.

Some schools will have obvious breakdows if languages. Because of our location the vast majority are french, although a french mum I know moved her child out 'because there are too many french here'. School websites usually say how many languages are spoken, so you will get a idea.

Like Nailak says, it doesn't matter - and if you do end up in one with a lot of children at the school speaking the same language as your little one, you may find that he won't advance as quickly as he will be hanging out with his mates at lunchtime and playtime, not speaking english. In our school, kids are supposed to only converse I english, but some days I drop DS off, walk through the entire school and only hear french. The upside is - my french is improving considerably!

I guess you are a native english speaker? Do try to converse in english at home. My friend got a telling off by theee nuns at her childs school for only speaking the mums native language at home (in the uk). Her kids are now beautifully bilingual now though.

Will depend on individual schools. You need to visit them or at least soeak to them.

The state infant school I work at is pretty good with non English speaking children esp when starting in reception, another nearby is excellent, another not so good.
But then DD's private prep school have had some non English speaking children - of varying ages - also and the children have done extremely well too. They are quite used to it I guess as we live near two universities and a teaching hospital, each of them attracting staff from abroad often on 2/3 year contracts.