EAL Networking Session 1

Date: Monday 16^th March 2026 
Time: 3:45 – 4:45 PM 
Location: Online (Microsoft Teams link will be sent closer to the event) 
Audience: Primary school staff in Bookmark partner schools (e.g. Literacy/​Reading Leads, EAL leads, SENCOs, class teachers, teaching assistants and other staff involved in supporting EAL learners). 

Join us for this networking session, the first in our new EAL Network, which follows on from our EAL CPD delivered in partnership with The Bell Foundation. While the CPD focused on introducing research‑informed strategies to support EAL learners’ reading, this hour is about what those ideas look like in real classrooms and across whole‑school reading cultures. 

During the session, staff from Bookmark partner schools will come together to share what they have tried since the training, celebrate what is working well and discuss the barriers they are still facing. Through structured small‑group discussions and whole‑group reflection, participants will explore practical ways to: 

• Apply strategies such as using dual‑language and wordless books, creating multilingual reading spaces and engaging EAL families 
• Respond to common challenges around time, resources and confidence 
• Identify at least one concrete action to take back to their setting 

The session will be interactive and collaborative rather than training‑led. Our aim is for every participant to leave with new ideas, renewed motivation and a clearer sense of next steps for EAL provision in their school.