EAL Coordinator

Join a Community Where We 'Aspire, Believe, and Achieve' Together at St Helena School. Do you have the skills to foster a stimulating environment where every child can achieve their very best? Ready to inspire young minds to dream big? At St Helena School, we take immense pride in our vibrant, diverse, and inclusive community. We are an ambitious secondary school dedicated to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background or starting point, achieves their full personal and academic potential. We believe that linguistic diversity is a strength, and we are committed to providing outstanding support to our students who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL). We are therefore seeking an enthusiastic EAL Coordinator to lead this vital work, remove language barriers, and ensure our multilingual students thrive across the curriculum.

A Day in the Life You’ll be responsible for bringing your passion and expertise to the following areas:

• Complete admissions meetings with the Pastoral Administrator and provide translated documents and communication resources as needed.
• Conduct robust initial language assessments for newly arrived and international students to create detailed entry profiles.
• Design, plan, and deliver bespoke 1:1 or small-group English language intervention sessions.
• Provide high-quality in-class support or coordinate EAL teaching assistants to scaffold complex subject vocabulary.
• Work hand‑in‑hand with the Head of English, SENCO, Heads of Year, and Subject Leaders to identify and address student underachievement.
• Build strong, empathetic relationships with parents and carers, coordinating interpreters for school meetings where necessary.

What We’re Looking For:

• A good general standard of education with GCSE Grade A*-C (or equivalent) in English and Maths. (Specialised TESOL/EAL qualifications, bilingual communication skills, and recent experience working with secondary-aged children are highly desirable but not essential).
• An exceptional communicator who can break down communication barriers and build trusting, respectful relationships with our diverse students, their families, and staff.
• Someone dedicated to student wellbeing who can confidently support children with developmental difficulties or disabilities, while supporting the work of classroom volunteers and Teaching Assistants.
• Someone with a solid understanding of the school curriculum, school behaviour policies, and a strong commitment to safeguarding, child protection, and confidentiality.
• A reliable, organised, and adaptable team player who can use their own initiative, resolve routine problems independently, and remain calm under pressure.

Benefits:

• A competitive salary and excellent pension scheme.
• A Health Cash Plan to help manage everyday healthcare costs.
• Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme to support wellbeing.
• Exclusive perks such as Cycle to Work scheme, access to discounts via free membership to Perkbox, eligibility for a Blue Light Card, and more.

Professional Development:

• A robust CPD training programme that empowers you to flourish.
• Unrivalled opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the Trust, sharing ideas and building strong professional relationships.

Commitment to Safeguarding & Diversity:

The Sigma Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the children and young people we work with. All posts are subject to safer recruitment processes, including disclosure of criminal records, online checks, and other vetting checks. We promote safeguarding and safer working practice across our schools. The Sigma Trust is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of any protected characteristics.