Creative ESOL Programme:
Islington Schools
Rewrite fights prejudice and injustice by bringing together young people from different backgrounds through the power of drama and creative writing. The award-winning charity is a grassroots organisation with a strong track record of delivering core and bespoke projects both in and out of school contexts.
www.rewrite.org.uk
Acknowledgements
Rewrite are grateful to all the teachers and students from partner schools who have contributed to the evaluation process. Input from Tim Spafford at Islington Council and the Rewrite facilitators who have delivered the programme has also been invaluable. The report is written by Eleanor Cocks, Rewrite Director.
July 2014
Creative ESOL is an established programme for newly arrived young migrants and refugees to develop their English language skills, confidence and integration through drama and the arts. The Creative ESOL methodology has been developed by Rewrite since 2008 and is now a well-respected model of practice, recognised by the British Council (Innovations in English language teaching for migrants and refugees, 2012).
Rewrite was commissioned by the Islington School Improvement Service to deliver the programme as a weekly, after school activity between November 2013 and July 2014 for EAL students from 8 Islington schools: Islington Arts and Media, Highbury Grove, St Aloysius College, Highbury Fields, Holloway, Mount Carmel and Samuel Rhodes secondary schools and Christ the King primary school. A total of 70 students engaged with the programme during this time.
Evaluation has found strong evidence to suggest that the programme achieved its intended aims:
• English language acquisition: support participants in developing their English language skills and confidence to express themselves in English
• Social integration: support participants in developing positive relationships and a sense of community
Executive Summary
Feedback from students and staff was overwhelmingly positive, showing that the sessions helped participants to improve their English language skills, confidence and wellbeing. Students reported that they enjoyed the sessions, made new friends and valued the opportunity to meet young people from other schools. School data on achievement levels also shows that participants developed their English language skills over the course of the project, with some individuals making accelerated progress.
Further key outcomes
• Opportunities for young people to explore shared issues they face as newly-arrived young migrants and refugees through the fictional world of drama • Opportunities for young people to celebrate
bilingualism and multiculturalism
• Increased participation and achievement in mainstream classes and other extra-curricular activities within schools
• Opportunities for students to take ownership over curriculum content
Key Recommendations
• Promote participatory approaches to support English language acquisition: The Creative ESOL project clearly demonstrates the impact of developing confidence and integration on English language progress. It is therefore highly recommended that newly-arrived EAL students are offered a safe space to play, express themselves and be heard in order to ease their transition into UK schools and support their educational achievement.
• Ensure EAL learners’ early progress is celebrated:
Opportunities for students to perform / share their work with the wider school community, family and friends is important to validate their progress and achievement. They also evidence the impact of the project to those who have not participated in the sessions.
• Encourage mainstream teachers to learn and deploy successful EAL strategies: School staff should be encouraged to attend planning and evaluation sessions alongside Creative ESOL facilitators (and be offered the opportunity to engage in Creative ESOL training days) in order to be equipped to implement elements of the methodology in their classrooms.
• Plan for sustainability: In order to ensure that this
successful programme can be continued for EAL students in Islington schools it is important to enter into discussions with key stakeholders to consider how the work can be funded in the future.
Executive Summary
One of our new arrivals was very tearful and worried
when starting at the school. We took him along to
Creative ESOL. His teacher came up to me recently
and wondered how it was that the student was now
so happy, confident and making such good progress.
To explain it I showed the teacher what Creative
ESOL were doing.
Creative ESOL is one of Rewrite’s core programmes. The project is for newly arrived young migrants and refugees to develop their English language skills, confidence and integration through drama and the arts. Sessions are delivered by trained ESOL teachers and experienced drama practitioners. Creative ESOL has been developed by Rewrite since 2008 and is now an established model of practice recognised by the British Council (featuring in their publication Innovations in English language teaching for migrants and refugees, 2012). Creative ESOL projects are now being delivered for EAL students in primary and secondary schools across three London boroughs. Rewrite are also developing a Creative ESOL training model and resources in order to disseminate the practice.
Rewrite were commissioned by Islington Council’s School Improvement Service to deliver the Creative ESOL programme for newly arrived EAL students (years 7 to 11) between October 2013 and July 2014. The aim was to deliver the project in three host schools but to engage students from other local schools (with the aim of engaging up to nine schools in total). Sessions lasting 1.5 hours would be delivered by two facilitators on a weekly basis after school for up to 20 students at each venue, supported by EAL teaching staff. The project would culminate in sharing and celebration events for participants, teachers, family and friends.
Project aims
• English language acquisition: to support participants in developing their English language skills and confidence to express themselves in English
• Social integration: to support participants in
developing positive relationships and building a sense of community.
We were also interested in exploring opportunities for the participants’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as impacts on teaching and learning for the school staff involved.
Creative ESOL in Islington Schools
Evaluation Tools
Facilitators delivering the projects completed an evaluation task after each session, reflecting on outcomes and tracking the progress of individuals in the group. Each term they also attended an evaluation session with the project manager and wrote a case study on one participant per group. School staff involved in the programme completed an online survey in term three and submitted attendance and levels data. This report also draws on their feedback to the project manager and Tim Spafford at various points during the programme. Participants involved completed a practical evaluation session at the end of terms one and two and completed an online survey in term three.
Project Delivery
The host schools were originally Islington Arts and Media School, Holloway School and Highbury Fields School. However, due to staff illness the project at Holloway School was re-located to Mount Carmel School in February 2014. Students from St Aloysius College, Highbury Grove School, Samuel Rhodes School and Christ the King Primary School also engaged with the programme. Up to 5 sessions were delivered in term one (October to December 2013), 10 sessions in term two (January to April 2014) and a further 11 sessions in term three (April to July 2014).
Project Content
In term one the scheme of work focussed on developing positive relationships within the group and creating a safe space. In order to do this, session content involved games, trust exercises and ice-breakers. There were also opportunities for participants to share their cultures with the group. Target language included expressing likes and dislikes, modals (to establish a group contract) and present tense question forms. Participants also engaged in a visual planning and reflection activity in order to map their needs and aims for the project. Students from St Aloysius College and Christ the King Primary School also attended the sessions.
Photo of tree or boats
In term two the group engaged in improvisation, devising and craft work around the theme of ‘objects’. The language aims included adjectives, alphabet (with a focus on
pronunciation), writing and spelling. The facilitators aimed to do a sharing event at the end of the term. However, mid-way through the term, new students joined the group from IAMS and Highbury Grove. This had a strong impact on the group dynamic, especially because the students from Highbury Grove were very newly arrived and had low levels of English and confidence. As a result, the session content had to adapt to the new group, with a focus on developing positive relationships and re-creating a safe space.
In term three, the scheme of work was based on the theme of ‘Journeys’, exploring the students’ journeys to school, within school and through their teenage years. The group explored pressures on young people, which generated new vocabulary and then became the focus for the term. Participants created a story using the vocabulary, which followed a newly-arrived young person in London, beginning with his journey to school, then seeing the challenges he faces within school and culminating with forming new friendships and celebrating the beauty and multiculturalism of London.
Project Outcomes
Language acquisition
Students involved showed a good grasp of target language by the end of each term. Particularly effective was linking new vocabulary to dance movements in term three. Participants’ confidence to experiment with new language and take risks to communicate developed significantly over the three terms. Students who joined the project knowing only a few words in English made rapid progress, displaying an ability to speak and read aloud in front of the group within 5 to 10 sessions. The drama and play elements of the project appear to have significantly developed the participants’ confidence to express themselves. Opportunities to perform in front of the group seemed to accelerate this process. For example, one student who had been in the group for approximately 5 sessions was very inhibited. She spoke extremely quietly and rarely displayed any facial expressions. However, when supported to join in a role play about bullying in a school scene she transformed; showing facial expressions, body language and audible English language in order to communicate her character.
Social Integration
It was challenging to develop and maintain a positive group dynamic at times, particularly when the group became very large and encompassed students from four different schools with very different levels of language, confidence and engagement. However, tutor evaluation shows that vulnerable individuals in the group became less isolated over the course of the sessions and established new friendships. The core students from IAMs who engaged in the project from beginning to end also created a welcoming environment for students from other schools and were disappointed if they were unable to attend. The activities where students shared their cultures were particularly successful in strengthening the group bond and the work on issues in term three seemed to develop a sense of community based on shared experience.
Islington Arts and Media School
I have seen the students enjoying the sessions and
sharing their ideas and this made them feel part of the
student community. I’m sure these workshops have
helped my group to develop their functional skills.
Other outcomes
• Young people explored issues they face as newly-arrived young migrants and refugees (participants were keen to discuss this and make it part of their story) • Young people celebrated bilingualism (combating the
sense of shame that students displayed about speaking their first languages)
• Young people shared important aspects of their cultures • Teachers learned effective and inclusive strategies
for promoting English language acquisition and social integration: for example the EAL coordinator from Highbury Grove attended our Creative ESOL conference in March 2014, exploring participatory approaches to teaching English
A really positive space for the students to feel free,
safe and to open up to each other and the world.
EAL Coordinator, IAMS
Case Study
When A first joined the group he said very little and was very newly arrived in England. He was highly distracted and often disruptive. As the sessions progressed his English improved rapidly and he became much more engaged in the group. A turning point was in a craft activity when participants had drawn flags for their home country or another country they’d lived in. For the first time he was really motivated to speak in front of the group and even though he found it difficult, he managed to talk to everyone about what he missed from his home country. From then on, A grew in confidence. He was able to perform in front of the whole group and work really well with other students. He particularly enjoyed supporting other newly arrived students who joined the group later in the year.
Creative ESOL facilitators, IAMS
Project Content
In term one the project was based at Holloway School and also involved students from Mount Carmel. The scheme of work encompassed introductions, creating a safe environment, celebrating mother tongues/ cultures and exploring non-linguistic communication. Target language included discussing interests and asking questions. In term two Holloway School could no longer host the sessions so it relocated to Mount Carmel School. The creative stimulus was the theme of ‘Journeys’ including map drawing, creative writing, movement work and devising. Target language included present continuous, connectors, past tense, polite suggestions and giving feedback. Personal / social aims were to consolidate the group, encourage mutual support, ownership of work, risk taking and confidence to make mistakes.
A very BIG thankyou from all of us at Mount Camel.
The students, parents and staff were so impressed and
really enjoyed the performance (including the shark
activity)! Even staff that couldn’t make last night have
been congratulating the girls as they have heard such
positive feedback. Thank you once again for all your
hard work and such an amazing opportunity for our girls.
I look forward to working with you again.
EAL Support Staff, Mount Carmel School
In term three participants explored storytelling through forum theatre, physicality and creative writing. They also focussed on performance skills in preparation for a sharing event. Through these creative mediums, the group explored language to express opinion and preference (discourse skills such as adjectives and diplomatic phrases); constructing narrative (connectives and past tenses) and fluency (developing confidence to improvise language with a specific communication aim and safety to make mistakes). As the girls were operating at a high level of fluency by this stage, the facilitators also encouraged the group to identify their own language aims, connected to real life situations outside the classroom. Personal / social aims were to ensure integration and collaboration between different ages, mother tongues and social groups; develop confidence in expressing opinion; for every member of the group to have a voice; and encourage a sense of ownership. At the end of term the participants performed their devised forum theatre play for an invited audience. The piece
explored issues that newly arrived young people may face including bullying and living with extended family.
Project Outcomes
Language acquisition
Facilitator evaluation describes participant progress in the following areas: contributing ideas and comments during tasks; increased confidence to experiment with language without fear of making mistakes; improved use of tenses; wider vocabulary, increased fluency and increased ability to notice and correct mistakes independently. The group also developed a very supportive dynamic where individuals helped each other to communicate their ideas through English.
Social integration
In the first term the students from Holloway and Mount Carmel were beginning to integrate with each other and form positive relationships. It was therefore unfortunate that the project could not continue there. However, the students at Mount Carmel also made progress in relation to social integration. By the end of the project they had greatly improved their collaborative working with regards to ages, social groups and mother tongues. Attendance consistency had also improved, evidencing a higher level of commitment to and ownership over the group. Many students showed improved confidence, engagement and participation.
Other Outcomes
• Achievement in drama: a drama teacher at Mount Carmel reported increased confidence and
participation in GCSE drama lessons of students who engaged with the project
• Ownership over curriculum content: this group were able to determine their own language needs by term three, resulting in organically produced language topics • Supporting greater participation in mainstream classes • Opportunities for students to explore challenges
relating to their experience as newly arrived migrants and refugees and consider solutions to problems they may face (through a forum theatre model)
• Opportunities for more advanced / older EAL students to act as peer mentors
It is fun and I laugh
a lot. I have learnt
new words and they
helped me to use
proper grammar.
I enjoyed the way we
learn by having fun.
Participants, Mount Carmel School
The Creative ESOL sessions have exceeded expectations.
They have provided students with a safe space to begin
to build confidence in expressing themselves. [Rewrite]
have combined the creative and ESOL functions of their
brief very skilfully and effectively, so students have been
learning and enjoying themselves. Anecdotally, they have
boosted the students’ learning in mainstream classes,
through better communication and confidence.
EAL Coordinator, Holloway School
Case Study
Student D has shown huge growth in confidence. Her language skills were and are substantially less advanced than the majority of the group. At the start of the project she was very quiet and reserved, she barely spoke and although she was very affectionate with other students and clearly had friends she didn’t really participate with language or with creative tasks. A turning point was her intervention during a forum theatre play about an abusive Aunt, where she got up and had a go at intervention (ie trying to combat her oppressor). Even though she had limited language skills she used what language she did know to communicate really effectively and demonstrated brilliant risk taking and confidence. At the end of term 3 she had a main part in a group devised piece of forum theatre, and contributed to the process with ideas, feedback and praise for others. One week she brought in a piece of written text, which was full of ideas for the play that she had been thinking of throughout the week, in English. By the end of the project she was willing to take language and creative risks and make mistakes. She became an integral part of the group, full of energy and highly engaged. Her vocabulary and grasp of grammar have developed hugely through task based activities. Creative ESOL facilitators, Mount Carmel School
Project Content
In term one the scheme of work focussed on introducing and consolidating adjectives and question forms. The personal/social aims were to develop trust and a positive group dynamic. Participants created their own characters, wrote diary entries around a ‘mood moment’ and devised short scenes. They shared this creative work at the end of term for school staff, including the head teacher. One of the students was from Samuel Rhodes School.
In the second term the group explored long vowel sounds with a focus on pronunciation and spelling. They created their own narrative and engaged in more complex language work through focussing on dialogue and writing a script. The script was performed by the group in a sharing for school staff at the beginning of term three. The facilitators also aimed to develop confidence and peer support through the performance process. The final term involved puppetry and props to explore the first and second conditionals. The group devised scenes using this stimulus and developed their independent working skills and ownership.
Project Outcomes
Language acquisition
This group made remarkable progress in the early stages of the project, evidenced by the fact that they were able to perform in front of an audience after only four sessions. There were very diverse language needs in the group (including non-literate participants) but the more proficient students were able to support the lower level participants. All of the students showed rapid progress in their confidence to speak English and rapidly acquired new language. The EAL Coordinator at the school reported that she could see a direct correlation between the ‘better than expected’ progress of some of the students and their involvement in the project. In particular she pointed out the accelerated progress of two students with no previous education who made impressive progress in their literacy skills.
Social integration
Participants formed a quick bond in the first term and the group was highly supportive of each other. Vulnerable individuals who were beginners in English and socially isolated quickly formed friendships in the group. The project became well known around the school and the EAL Coordinator was approached by other EAL students and native speakers, wanting to join. The sharing events seemed important for this group to ‘show off’ their new language and increased confidence. The fact that the head teacher attended gave them a real sense of validation and made them feel an important part of the school community.
Other outcomes
• Engagement in other extra-curricular activities: one student reported that she had joined the school drama group after gaining confidence through the Creative ESOL project
• Celebrating bilingualism: the group developed a closing ritual of saying goodbye in a different language each session, which the participants loved
• Integration of native speakers: students with English as a first language joined the group; some as peer mentors to develop their leadership skills and others to form friendships because they were socially isolated within school
• SEN support: a statemented student who attended from a local SEN school made such progress with confidence that she is now looking into joining a mainstream comprehensive
My best bit was seeing
the Head’s face – she
couldn’t believe how
good we were.
Participant at Highbury Fields School
It’s been very effective in supporting
English language acquisition – they
break the language down through using
physical activity and drama and games
and it accelerates the students’ progress.
It has also been really useful providing
social support. One student lacking in
confidence and socially quite isolated
has, through the workshop, developed
meaningful friendships and made huge
progress. Students love it and other
students who are not eligible for referral
want to attend too.
EAL Coordinator, Highbury Fields School
Case study
Student L arrived in the autumn term from her home country. She was illiterate in her own language and didn’t speak any English. However, she was eager to learn, taking in all she could. Games helped her participate in the group and were a good way for her to be included in the process fully. She quickly became a part of the group and her confidence flourished. During the autumn term she was supported by a year 10 student who supported her with translation. To support her language development she received individual support throughout the year. Her determination to learn led to several breakthroughs. In the spring terms she started suggesting and leading warm-up games for the group. She wrote a small part of the script and practised reading and performing at home with her parents. During the sharing she independently read out the script to an audience of teachers. She still needs a lot of language support but has developed tremendously over the course of the year. She is confident, happy, talkative and contributes lots of creative ideas.
Facilitators, Highbury Fields School
Do you think the classes have helped you improve your English?
Have you made new friends through the classes?
Have you enjoyed the classes?
Online Surveys
Student Fedback29 students completed the online survey in term three.
Impact Measurement
Yes No Not sure Yes No 30Yes No Not sure 25 20 15 10 5 0
Student Comments
The sessions are really fun. My English is getting
good. I learnt new words, I enjoyed reading and
working with my friends and I enjoyed the play.
Student, Highbury Fields SchoolI learnt new words through doing performances
and working with my friends.
Student, Samuel Rhodes School
[The classes have helped me by] talking all the time
about things that I don’t know, but they can explain
them to me. I have enjoyed doing fun activities and
learning new things.
Student, IAMS
[In the classes] they speak only English, I have to
push myself to understand, and it encourages me
and helps me to learn more words.
Student, Mount Carmel School
Teacher feedback
Four teachers completed the online survey in term three. When asked whether the students had enjoyed the classes 50% strongly agreed and 50% agreed. 75% of the teachers would take part in this programme again, with the other 25% saying maybe. They all reported that there was
nothing that the children didn’t enjoy, and no problems with the sessions. All of the teachers said that the students had made new friends through the programme and 75% agreed or strongly agreed that the students had enjoyed working with young people from other schools. All of the teachers agreed that the classes had improved the students’ English language skills with 50% strongly agreeing. Some teachers reported that they had gained ideas for activities they could use in their own teaching but some said they had been unable to participate in the sessions as much as they would have liked due to other school pressures.
Students have thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. They
have written and performed a play and particularly
enjoyed the warm up activities. The tutors have been
outstanding and are wonderful with our students.
Student confidence has greatly improved as well as their
spoken English. Students enjoyed experiencing a wide
variety of activities.
EAL Coordinator, Highbury Fields School
The classes have helped the girls’ confidence [and
their] English as they can point out tenses and certain
grammatical rules, which they have been taught during
the sessions. These sessions have really helped with our
students making friends from other years and I think it
could be offered for students that are less confident with
social skills not only for ESOL students.
EAL Support Staff, Mount Carmel School
[These sessions have helped the students because]
they feel more confident to talk with other children.
I can use some of the ideas from the classes [to inform
my teaching].
EAL Support Staff, St Aloysius College
Venue Number of sessions delivered (time period)
Number of students attended and school
Combined student places
Holloway School 7 sessions (Oct-Feb) 2014) 12 (Holloway) 6 (Mount Carmel)
76 Mount Carmel School 16 sessions (Feb-July 2014) 14 (Mount Carmel)
NB 8 additional to above 157
IAMS 26 sessions (Oct-July 2014) 16 (IAMS)
6 (Highbury Grove) 7 (St Aloysius) 1 (Christ the King)
278
Highbury Fields 23 sessions (Oct-July 2014) 13 (Highbury Fields) 1 (Samuel Rhodes)
193
Total 72 70 704
NB Cancelled sessions were due to strike action and school staffing/scheduling issues. Attendance at Holloway and IAMS sessions estimated for term one.
Attendance Data
Levels Data
Schools provided data on individual student progress over the course of the project in relation to EAL and English assessments. Not all of the schools were able to provide full data and some did not have recent data for the end of the project. However, the information provided does provide an underpinning narrative of good achievement in English. Many students also made better than expected progress. The project cannot claim full responsibility for this achievement but school staff, facilitator and participant feedback suggests that the Creative ESOL programme has made a significant contribution.
Student A attended the workshops from October until
May. She has made two sub levels of progress in English.
A’s confidence in and around school has greatly improved.
Student B joined the UK in March 2013 with very little
previous schooling and no English. B has had to learn
to read and write from scratch. B has made exceptional
progress and has improved by a whole level.
Comments on individual participant progress, Highbury Fields School
Impact Measurement
Recommendations
Our evaluation of the programme suggests a range of actions schools and Rewrite can individually and
collectively take to further ensure the effectiveness of this provision in securing important integration and language acquisition outcomes for EAL students:
• Ensure school staff participate in each session: Each project benefited from high-levels of engagement by school staff. When school staff do not attend then there is risk of poor communication affecting planning and lack of acknowledgement of students’ learning. • Encourage mainstream teachers to learn and deploy
successful EAL strategies: It is planned that school staff will in future attend planning and evaluation twilight sessions with Rewrite facilitators (and be offered the opportunity to engage in Creative ESOL training days). • Engage the whole school community: Sharing events
were particularly successful when staff and students were invited, along with friends and family. This meant that the participants’ achievements were celebrated across the school.
• Carefully consider the impact of attendance decisions on the programme: Whilst there needs to be a flexible approach to ensure the changing needs of the students, and those additionally enlisted, are met (eg by changing the focus of sessions to incorporate more complex / academic language as students progress or when responding to the needs of new students), it can be disruptive to include large numbers of new students late in the project so there needs to be an agreement between schools and Rewrite as to when this is appropriate.
• Explore opportunities for engaging native speakers in the programme: One school found this to be a particularly effective strategy, particularly if
deploying them as peer mentors to the newly arrived EAL student attenders, with clear benefits for both mentees and mentors.
• Ensure EAL learners’ early progress is celebrated:
Opportunities for students to perform / share their work with the wider school community, family and friends is important to validate their progress and achievement. They also evidence the impact of the project to those who have not participated in the sessions. It is also recommended that schools explore opportunities to engage with borough-wide events eg International Mother Language Day through the programme.
• Promote participatory approaches to support English language acquisition: The Creative ESOL project clearly demonstrates the impact of developing confidence and integration on English language progress. It is therefore highly recommended that newly-arrived EAL students are offered a safe space to play, express themselves and be heard in order to ease their transition into UK schools and support their educational achievement. • Plan for sustainability: In order to ensure that this
successful programme can be continued for EAL students in Islington schools it is important to enter into discussions with key stakeholders to consider how the work can be funded in the future.
Rewrite are pleased Islington schools have again asked us to extend the Creative ESOL programme into next year. It is looking forward to supporting more newly arrived young migrants and refugees to develop and achieve across London, with plans to engage new partner primary and secondary schools. Rewrite is also excited about disseminating the Creative ESOL methodology with the aim of having a positive impact on EAL teaching and learning strategies in school and promoting the value of participatory arts practice. It is encouraging to note that staff from three of the Islington partner schools will participate in Creative ESOL training courses in the autumn term 2014.
Creative ESOL Programme: Islington Schools
Evaluation Report
www.rewrite.org.uk
5 Elephant Lane, London SE16 4JD info@rewrite.org.uk
