The Baleares International College schools have been recently awarded the Accreditation by Language for Results and are, therefore, acknowledged for their high quality of EAL (English as an Additional Language) provision by The Bell Foundation.
At BIC a high percentage of our students have English as an additional language and through our EAL programme receive personal support. We are proud of the high-quality English provision across our schools in every classroom, for every learner.
“We have all worked hard to achieve this and are very proud to display our ALFRI accreditation kitemark, proof of our dedication to the teaching and learning of English through the British curriculum.” - Janice Short, Principal - BIC Sant Agustí
The Bell Foundation is a charity which aims to overcome exclusion through language education by working with partners on innovation, research, training and practical interventions. It accredits regional Centres of Expertise in the UK to build sustainable provision for learners who use English as an Additional Language (EAL) and offers Language for Results International, a high-quality suite of training, tools, resources and accreditation for international schools underpinned by the latest research and designed with learner impact at the forefront.
Baleares International College, part of the Orbital Education group of international schools, started the application process for ALFRI accreditation in September, 2021. After an initial meeting with the assessors, where the school's current policies and practices were briefly discussed against each of the assessment criteria, it was mutually agreed that the school was ready to proceed with the submission of evidence.
The report concludes that the schools meet the necessary criteria and are accredited for the quality of their EAL provision for three years; they received various commendations throughout different categories.
Achieving this accreditation is a testament to the excellent leadership and expertise provided by the team, to all the hard work, skill and commitment of our teachers, and to the resilience and determination of our students. Well done to all! - Alison Colwell, Principal - BIC Sa Porrassa
They described our school as one:
"Where the cultural and linguistic diversity of the pupils is celebrated and where the value of EAL pupils is clearly visible in the school's activities”
“EAL pupils achieve impressive learning outcomes, as demonstrated by outstanding exam results: 100% pass rate, and 38% at A* and A”
“There is visible alignment between the school’s explicit values and the different activities that pupils take part in, with opportunities to explore a variety of important modern issues such as diversity, multicultural education, racism and anti-racism, global and development education, and religious, moral, spiritual education”
“The celebration of individuality and uniqueness come across strongly in the curriculum and co-curriculum programme”
“The school offers a good mix of activities, from international schemes (the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the Model UN Conference), regional initiatives and events (the Rotary Club debating competition, inviting bilingual guest speakers from local institutions to speak to the pupils in Spanish and English), social projects and charity work (collaborating with the Zaqueo food bank), to in-house events (International Families Day, Odd Sock Day, Black History Month) and events that celebrate cultural diversity and deepen cultural awareness (Sant Antoni and Diwali)”
“The use of English throughout the school is excellent, and students are confident and happy to use English."
“There is a school culture of high expectations and specific activities support this aim (eg, the international maths challenge)”
The EAL provision at BIC strives to guide students through their English language learning journey, by providing the opportunity for excellence, challenging our students, and tailoring the teaching and learning processes to meet the needs of each individual. Our results indicate that when we fuse the structures and systems we have in place with our passion for the English language and learning, we are able to reduce the barriers of our language learners and aid their access to mainstream education with success.
Whatever the level of support required, our EAL specialists work together with students, parents and their teachers to ensure the programme of study is relevant to the demands of the curriculum and the students’ own personal needs.