The experiences of multilingual children in primary school
How do children who are multilingual experience primary school?
The experiences of multilingual children in primary school
25 Nov 2025, 16:00 – 17:00
This seminar will explore multilingual children's views on their school lives, given the lack of policy on English as an additional language (EAL) support.
The speakers will discuss their project, which used focus groups with children across four schools with different cohorts, alongside interviews with staff to provide context, to explore what matters to children labelled as EAL and how different their experiences can be.
Key themes they will discuss include the importance of language in friendship, the frequent lack of support for children with EAL, and the de-prioritisation of this group within schools. The session will conclude with some suggestions for how the children's views could inform teachers' practices with EAL children.
Speakers
- Alice Bradbury, Professor of Sociology of Education, UCL Institute of Education; Co-Director, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0 to 11 Years)
- Charlotte Hacking, Teacher Engagement Lead, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0 to 11 Years); and Research and Curriculum Lead at Herne Hill School, UK
- Emily Ranken, Research Assistant, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy (0 to 11 Years)
Related links
Image
Pixel-Shot via Adobe Stock.
Further information
Ticketing
Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes
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