What needs to be done

There are 5 program areas where staff are required to take specific actions.

1. Culturally inclusive schools

All staff must:

• carry out their duties fairly, and in ways that promote equity for students and families from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
• model inclusion and respect for students, parents and carers, and community members from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds
• consistently challenge racist and discriminatory attitudes and behaviours at school
• work collaboratively to build a fair, safe and inclusive environment for all students and community members.

Principals must:

• actively build and promote harmony, mutual respect and intercultural understanding within their school communities
• provide inclusive programs that enable students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds to participate equitably in all aspects of schooling (refer to Cultural inclusion)
• demonstrate consistent, fair and high expectations for all students and families
• identify and address barriers to learning, wellbeing and representation in leadership, sport, social and other school activities for students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
• foster strong home-school partnerships and authentic engagement with families from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds to support student learning and wellbeing (refer to Engaging communities)
• implement strategies that facilitate effective and equitable consultation with culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse communities about school activities, programs and practices
• provide professional learning opportunities that enable staff to effectively support the learning and wellbeing needs of students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
• plan and deliver teaching and learning programs for all students that promote intercultural understanding and challenge bias, stereotyping and racism
• review school practices to ensure the school environment is culturally responsive to the needs of students and community members from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds (refer to Planning and reporting).

Teachers must:

• establish culturally inclusive learning environments that foster respect for diversity (refer to Cultural inclusion)
• hold consistent, fair and high expectations for all students
• provide culturally appropriate and responsive teaching and assessment strategies that enable students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds to fully participate in learning experiences and achieve equitable learning outcomes
• provide culturally appropriate and responsive classroom management strategies that foster a sense of belonging, cultural safety and wellbeing for students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
• provide opportunities for all students to build intercultural understanding through the curriculum
• establish culturally responsive strategies to communicate and engage with parents and carers from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds
• integrate materials that accurately reflect the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of NSW public school communities in the design and delivery of teaching activities
• provide opportunities for students to engage in critical and reflective conversations about culture and cultural identity, challenge stereotypes, reflect on bias and understand diverse perspectives
• provide curriculum and co-curricular opportunities for students to reflect on and make connections between their culture and those of others to mediate differences and build positive cross–cultural relationships.

2. English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) education

All staff must ensure teaching and learning environments:

• promote and value diversity
• are inclusive of students from culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse backgrounds (refer to Cultural inclusion).

Principals must:

• ensure EAL/D students have their English language proficiency assessed (refer to Assessing EAL/D learners) using the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) EAL/D Learning Progression (398 KB), and updated each year (refer to the information on Data collection – Maintain EAL/D function in ERN
• verify the EAL/D annual survey is completed accurately in June each year through online data collections (refer to Online Data Collection For Schools)
• ensure English Language Proficiency equity loading teaching allocations are filled permanently with qualified EAL/D specialist teachers as far as possible
• ensure the flexible funding component of the English language proficiency equity loading is fully allocated to meet the needs of EAL/D students each year
• explicitly outline targets and/or inmprovement measures within the Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP) related to EAL/D learners to describe the use and impact of needs-based funding as outlined in the advice at Needs-based funding
• ensure all EAL/D student reports meet the English language proficiency reporting requirements outlined in the Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K-12 policy
• verify that teaching and learning programs address the English language needs of EAL/D learners and provide equitable access to curriculum outcomes. Information can be found in What works best: EAL/D.

Teachers of EAL/D students must:

• use the ACARA EAL/D Learning Progression (398 KB) phases and learner characteristic statements to identify the language learning needs of their EAL/D students (refer to Assessing EAL/D learners)
• develop and implement differentiated teaching programs, practices and strategies that reflect models of EAL/D pedagogy and include differentiation for language and content appropriate to levels of English language proficiency, to address the English language and literacy learning needs of EAL/D students in curriculum areas. Information can be found in the Universal Resources Hub: EAL/D (staff only).

EAL/D specialist teachers should:

• collaborate with class and subject teachers, and school executive, to co-design learning by guiding planning in differentiation for increasingly complex use of academic language across the stages of schooling
• co-teach in classes with EAL/D student learning needs, delivering learning and assessment which draws from models of both planned and contingent scaffolding
• support teachers to meet reporting requirements of English language proficiency for parents and carers in line with the Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting K-12 policy
• guide curriculum development to shape school educational practices, and mentor colleagues in EAL/D pedagogy and practice.

3. Intensive English support for newly arrived EAL/D students

Principals must:

• ensure newly arrived EAL/D students at the early stages of learning English are identified through enrolment processes, undertake an English language assessment (refer to Assessing EAL/D learners) and are able to access appropriate intensive English learning support as outlined in the New Arrivals Program Operational Guidelines 2023 (PDF 2.6MB)
• refer eligible secondary and Year 6 students to a local Intensive English Program setting (refer to Intensive English Centres) where available
• ensure eligible, newly arrived EAL/D students (primary or secondary) who cannot access an Intensive English Centre or the Intensive English High School, are able to access New Arrival Program funding support (refer to Needs-based funding evaluation)
• make arrangements to support the learning needs of newly arrived EAL/D students if required
• provide effective transition programs for newly arrived students including on-arrival interviews with parents or carers using interpreters and appropriate class placement (refer New Arrivals Program support)
• ensure funding for the New Arrivals Program, in addition to DE International student funds, are fully allocated to meet the needs of identified newly arrived EAL/D students each year (also refer to Needs-based funding evaluation).

Principals of schools with Intensive English Centres must also:

• refer to Intensive English Centres for guidance on operational matters
• provide delegations in SAP that allow the Intensive English Centre deputy principal/head teacher to manage the Intensive English Centre effectively
• provide a fair and equitable budget allocation to ensure the effective operation of the Intensive English Centre (refer SBAR IEC funding essentials)
• ensure Intensive English Program funding (including DE International student funds) is fully allocated to meet the needs of identified Intensive English Centre students each year
• ensure the Intensive English Centre deputy principal/head teacher is a member of the school senior executive and involved in whole-school decision-making
• ensure the Intensive English Centre deputy principal/head teacher is a member of the host school’s finance committee
• share host school resources equitably with the Intensive English Centre
• ensure the effective transition of Intensive English Centre students into their in-area local secondary school on completion of their Intensive English Centre studies
• meet regularly with the Intensive English Centre deputy principal/head teacher regarding Intensive English Centre operations and the learning and wellbeing needs of Intensive English Centre students
• ensure sufficient rooming facilities, including staffing and teaching spaces, are provided for the Intensive English Centre within school infrastructure to accommodate anticipated enrolment increases in Intensive English Centres throughout each year.

Teachers of newly arrived EAL/D students must:

• create a safe and productive school environment that promotes differentiated learning and that respects, values and celebrates cultural, religious and linguistic diversity
• collaborate with EAL/D specialist teachers, and those responsible for delivering new arrivals support to develop programs, practices, strategies and resources that support the English language and literacy learning of newly arrived EAL/D learners
• plan and teach programs that cater to the English language needs of newly arrived EAL/D students using practices and principles of differentiated instruction
• monitor, assess and evaluate the progress of newly arrived EAL/D students using ACARA’s EAL/D Learning Progression: Foundation to Year 10 (PDF 398 KB) guide.

Teachers employed through the New Arrivals Program must:

• support newly arrived EAL/D students, facilitate their orientation to Australian schooling and help them develop their language and literacy skills so they can participate in mainstream learning
• identify the learning and wellbeing needs of their newly arrived EAL/D students and communicate these needs to the class teacher and other relevant staff
• provide advice on and implement appropriate modes of delivery that best meet the needs of newly arrived EAL/D students
• support teachers in planning and delivering culturally responsive teaching and learning programs that support the on-arrival and ongoing English language and literacy needs of newly arrived EAL/D students.

Teachers of newly arrived EAL/D students in the Intensive English Program (Intensive English Centres) must:

• create a safe and productive school environment that promotes learning and that respects, values and celebrates cultural, religious and linguistic diversity
• develop programs, practices, strategies and resources that support the English language and literacy learning of newly arrived EAL/D learners
• plan and teach programs that cater to the English language needs of newly arrived EAL/D students using practices and principles of differentiated instruction
• monitor, assess and evaluate the progress of newly arrived EAL/D students using the Intensive English Program Curriculum Framework.

4. Targeted support for students from refugee backgrounds

Principals must:

• ensure students from refugee backgrounds are identified on enrolment and notify relevant staff so that they are well supported in their transition to school
• ensure refugee students have their English language proficiency assessed using the ACARA EAL/D Learning Progression and that it is updated each year in Maintain EAL/D in ERN
• provide opportunities for teachers of refugee students to participate in professional learning with a focus on refugee education (refer to Professional learning and resources)
• ensure Refugee student support targeted funding and the equity loading for English language proficiency is fully and appropriately allocated to meet the needs of refugee students each year
• facilitate access to additional support needed by students from refugee backgrounds and their families, including the refugee student counselling support team, statewide or local community organisations and other agencies (refer to Specialist refugee team).

Teachers of students from refugee backgrounds should:

• access Professional learning and resources to develop their understanding of teaching refugee students with no or limited literacy or who may have limited understanding of core curriculum concepts
• browse MyPL (staff only) for training that focuses on trauma caused by past experiences, to develop proactive and reactive strategies to meet the recovery goals of refugee students
• develop and implement differentiated teaching programs, practices and strategies to support the additional educational and wellbeing needs of students from refugee backgrounds who have low levels of literacy and may be dealing with the impact of trauma.

5. Interpreting and translations

All staff must:

• refer to the Interpreting and translation service guidelines (2023) (PDF 407 KB) when engaging interpreters and developing translated documents
• use Online interpreting, Onsite interpreting or Telephone interpreting to assist in communicating with parents and carers who do not speak English well, or who are Deaf or hard of hearing
• proide a culturally supportive environment at interpreter-facilitated meetings to foster effective communication and trust
• consider the nature of the meeting and geographic availability of providers to choose the most suitable type of interpreting service – refer to Telephone interpreting, Onsite interpreting or Online interpreting
• know how to use and book the various types in interpreting services (refer to Interpreting and translations)
• book interpreters well in advance for meetings with parents and carers who speak languages that are not commonly requested or where interpreters are scarce, such as Auslan
• apply for funding approval for Onsite interpreting for meetings that go for more than 3 hours
• provide Translated documents as required to facilitate communication with parents and carers who do not read or understand English well.

Principals must:

• implement the NSW Government Language Services Guidelines (PDF 5 MB) for using suitably qualified interpreters and translations to enhance communication with parents and carers who do not speak English well, or who are Deaf or hard of hearing
• provide professional learning opportunities that build staff skills in effectively using interpreters, as well as awareness of the risks associated with using automated translation tools and relatives, friends or staff to act as interpreters
• promote the availability and use of department-funded Interpreting and translations services and Translated documents to facilitate effective communication with parents and carers who do not speak English well, or who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Principals may:

• choose to fund interpreters in instances where these costs are not met by the department (refer to page 3 of the Interpreting and translation service guidelines (2023) (PDF 407 KB)
• choose to fund school-specific translations using supporting advice (refer to New translations).

Supporting tools, resources and related information

Policy contact