Calderdale school selected as one of six schools in the UK to help overcome language barriers in classrooms

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A Calderdale academy has been selected as a leader in the quest to address and overcome language barriers in UK classrooms.

Greetland Academy is one of only six schools in the UK that will partner with Pocketalk after the company launched a nationwide programme designed to identify schools that exemplify leadership, adaptability, care and innovation in today’s diverse educational landscape.

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The partnership aims to support EAL (English as Another Language) students, teachers, parents and caregivers in a step towards helping support the 1.7 million pupils in England’s maintained schools who face language barriers.

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Greetland Academy is one of only six schools in the UK that will partner with PocketalkGreetland Academy is one of only six schools in the UK that will partner with Pocketalk
Greetland Academy is one of only six schools in the UK that will partner with Pocketalk

Pocketalk invited schools across the UK to apply to trial up to 10 of their AI-based direct translators, which can facilitate real-time conversations in over 84 languages to help EAL students learn.

Greetland Academy stood out from the competition and was selected by a panel of judges for its commitment to becoming a school of sanctuary, where it prioritises inclusion, making children feel welcome and providing high levels of support.

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Becoming a Pocketalk partner will enable the school to work towards its pledge more effectively by communicating with children and their parents in a more inclusive way.

The primary school, which has 15 students with EAL and 8 languages spoken, will now integrate Pocketalk devices into their classrooms and across the school.

The programme was inspired by a successful partnership with a Buckinghamshire primary school whereby Pocketalk was used to support a Bulgarian child and her family, who spoke very little English.

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Jess O’Dwyer, General Manager UK at Pocketalk, said: “Following the work we did with a primary school in Buckinghamshire, we quickly saw how effective using a simple translation device can be in learning.

"Not only in helping those children who speak another language, but also alleviating pressure on teaching resources means that all children - English speaking and those with EAL - could receive educational support without over stretching resources.”

A representative for Greetland Academy said: “For children who speak little or no English, the curriculum can be adapted to some level, but translation tools would be advantageous in communicating more accurately, quickly and discreetly with individual children.

"This would not only support inclusive practice but enable teaching staff to assess children’s learning and encourage them to reach their full potential.”

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