Chestnut Lane School, Amersham, achieves gold

Everything at Chestnut Lane School starts with a strong vision. Already a highly successful school, it could have responded to growing numbers of pupils with English as an additional language by treating EAL as a separate issue and adding a little extra provision. Instead, it chose to put language development and belonging at the heart of everything it does. Staff understand that this benefits every pupil, but they are equally clear that it matters because it is the right thing to do.

 That vision was evident in every conversation – with pupils, parents, classroom teachers, leaders and governors. The message was remarkably consistent: approaches that support language development and promote belonging are in the school’s DNA. They are not occasional interventions, but simply the way things happen. This is the essence of the Gold level of the EAL Quality Mark: effective EAL practice has become part of the school’s culture and benefits everyone.

What makes this culture effective is the depth of expertise behind it. Rather than relying on generic schemes, staff have used training to understand the principles of strong EAL practice and to develop strategies carefully matched to their pupils. One teacher reflected on how much classroom practice had changed over recent years as these approaches became part of mainstream teaching. Most strikingly, she described teaching as much more “fun” now – a telling sign of the professional satisfaction staff gain from improving their practice.

Pupils play an important part too. We were shown around by a group of “Talk Buddies” – some with EAL and some without – who volunteer to help new pupils settle in and thrive, both socially and academically. With 35 languages spoken by pupils across the school, multilingualism is not only recognised but actively valued.

Parents were full of praise for the excellent learning taking place and for an inclusive environment in which home languages are respected. Staff and governors spoke with confidence and pride about the school’s work, and that pride was fully justified.

For a school where practice is already so expert and consistent, the next step is not a simple off-the-shelf solution. Chestnut Lane is well placed to keep working at the leading edge: engaging in research-based projects, including its current work with Oxford Brookes University and UCL, helping to develop new approaches and sharing what it learns with other schools. Its Gold award recognises both what has already been achieved and the ambition to keep learning.