Supporting EAL Learners in school and the classroom by Professor Naomi Flynn - PRIMARY

Naomi Flynn, Professor at the University of Reading Institute of Education, will deliver a two-part after-school CPD programme focused on supporting multilingual learners through inclusive, research-informed practice.

This professional development opportunity takes a whole-school perspective, exploring how language, oracy, and responsive teaching approaches can enable all pupils—particularly those learning English as an additional language—to thrive academically and feel a strong sense of belonging.

Session 1: Whole-School Approaches to Inclusion
Naomi will explore effective, evidence-informed strategies for embedding inclusive practice across the school. The session will consider how medium-term planning, curriculum design, and wider school initiatives can support both academic success and inclusion for multilingual learners. There will be opportunities for discussion around building a cohesive, whole-school approach that benefits all pupils.

Session 2: Linguistically Responsive Teaching in Practice
This session will focus on practical classroom strategies to make everyday teaching more responsive to pupils’ linguistic needs. Naomi will share approaches that help teachers scaffold language, develop understanding, and increase participation, ensuring that multilingual learners can fully access the curriculum.

Across both sessions, Naomi will draw on her research with teachers working in diverse classrooms, as well as her work with Hampshire schools, where oracy education has been used as a powerful driver for improving outcomes for learners with EAL.

To maximise relevance and impact, these sessions will be delivered separately for primary and secondary colleagues, allowing for phase-specific discussion and application.

This two-part programme offers a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding, share practice, and strengthen provision for multilingual learners across your setting.