Introduction to EAL Assessment (Online Course)

This practical online course aims to support teachers and other school staff in implementing effective practices for assessing the English language proficiency of pupils who use English as an Additional Language (EAL).  

The course explores:

• How assessment of proficiency can lead to more targeted in-class support and improved learner outcomes for these pupils; 
• The practicalities of assessing the English language proficiency of learners within the context of the curriculum, and the demands of busy classrooms; 
• How to use The Bell Foundation’s award-winning EAL Assessment Framework for Schools; 
• Pragmatic, specialist guidance on using the framework within a context of what is realistic and what can work alongside existing assessment systems. 

Who is this course for?

• Primary & secondary practitioners; 
• Teachers; 
• EAL coordinators;  
• Heads of department;  
• Other school staff with responsibility for EAL assessment. 

Please note: this course is not available to international schools. Please click here to view our upcoming Language for Results International online courses.

Why learn with us?

• The course includes three online modules and is designed to work around the busy lives of those working in schools. 
• With three hours of online study over a four to five-week period, this course enables you to work at a manageable pace with plenty of time to process course content and consider the relevance to your context. 
• The course is designed to be highly interactive and collaborative, with opportunities to work with other course participants, course tutors, and course material.  
• Module two is a live webinar with opportunities to ask questions and share good practice in real time.  

Tickets are available for either primary or secondary practitioners. A certificate will be awarded for successful completion of the course.

Ticket sales close on Tuesday 9 September 2025 at 4pm UK time.

Course structure:

Module One:

Pre-webinar online tasks: completed at your own pace over a one-week period. 

You will:  

• Learn why assessing learners’ proficiency in English is important. 

• Learn about how the Assessment Framework for Schools is organised and how it can be used. 

• Become more aware of how to use the Assessment Framework to make a best fit judgment of the English language proficiency of multilingual learners in speaking, listening, and reading and viewing, to monitor your learners’ ongoing progress and set appropriate language learning targets. 

Time commitment: approximately 60 minutes. 

Module Two:

Live interactive webinar with the course tutors: 

• Primary: 24 September 2025, 16:00-17:00 

• Secondary: 25 September 2025, 16:00-17:00 

You will learn how to use the speaking and writing descriptors of The Bell Foundation’s EAL  Assessment Framework for Schools to arrive at a best fit judgment of language proficiency, monitor on-going progress and set appropriate language learning targets. 

Time commitment: 60 minutes. 

Module Three:

Final project to implement learning from the course, completed at your own pace over a one to two-week period, followed by tutor feedback. You will apply what you have learned in Modules 1 and 2 by assessing one of your own learners’ speaking or writing skills and setting meaningful learning targets for them. 

Time commitment: approximately 60 minutes. 

Course tutors:

All tutors are experienced teacher educators with substantial experience of teaching and assessing learners who use EAL in relevant contexts. Tutors are trained e-moderators and offer friendly, practical specialist support to all participants throughout the course. 

Independent UK schools will be charged the standard rate with the income generated enabling The Bell Foundation to further its charitable goals. 

For those who are not from a school (e.g. charities or local authority EMTAS teams), please email uk.training@bell-foundation.org.uk for pricing information. 

For all bookings: Please ensure the attendee’s email address is used, not the email address of a school finance officer or administrator, to ensure that course messages and materials can be shared. 

Important notice: There are only two websites authorised to promote and take bookings for this event run by The Bell Foundation. These are: The Bell Foundation’s website and Eventbrite. Please do not book, or express interest in, this event through any other website.