English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The English as an Additional Language (EAL) Department at Shrewsbury School Hong Kong is a team of highly qualified and experienced practitioners who work across the school to support students from Early Years. Their role is to ensure that every student can access our English-medium curriculum confidently and make measurable progress in their language development.
Proficiency in English is essential for academic success within our curriculum and for future progression to English-speaking universities, where the majority of our graduates will continue their studies. The EAL Department is dedicated to accelerating students’ English acquisition and to providing targeted support for those whose current proficiency presents a barrier to their full participation in school life.
How Our EAL Courses Work
Our EAL specialists operate within a sheltered immersion model, meaning that students are supported both in mainstream lessons and through focused language programmes. This includes:
- Co-teaching and in-class support: EAL specialists work alongside subject teachers to provide additional guidance, scaffolding, and strategies for English learners within their regular classes.
- English Plus programme: A timetabled programme of study has been designed to reinforce core literacy skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and strengthen understanding of classroom content.
- Individualised support: Targeted small-group or one-to-one instruction, where required, to accelerate language development.
Students are assessed on entry and monitored regularly throughout the year to track progress. Those identified for EAL support are placed on the EAL register until they demonstrate sufficient proficiency to access the curriculum independently. At this point, they graduate from the programme, while still receiving classroom ‘scaffolding’ where appropriate.