Multilingualism at Hautlieu

“Our school celebrates linguistic diversity as a strength and recognises multilingualism as an asset that enriches the learning environment, strengthens community cohesion, and enhances students’ cultural awareness. We are committed to ensuring that all students whose home language is not English are fully supported to access the curriculum, achieve their academic potential, and participate confidently in school life. This policy outlines provisions for students aged 14–18 and ensures inclusive, equitable education for all learners.”

Key Definitions
ML (Multilingual Learner)	A student who has a language or languages beyond English in their linguistic repertoire.
Home Language	The language(s) used regularly in the home situation of student.
First Language	The language(s) that a person learns first from birth or from early childhood.

How are Multilingual Learners Identified & Assessed?

Data on Home Languages and First Languages is collected as part of the admissions process, during which parents are asked to provide information on any language other than English spoken at home (“Home Language”) and/or during/from early childhood (“First Language”).

The Proficiency of English (“PIE”) of Multilingual Learners assessed using Bell Foundation PIE Assessment Framework (Bands A – E).

A	New to English	BANDS A-B: Developing Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). Conversational fluency, functional social use of language. 6 months – 2 years to develop.
B	Early Acquisition
C	Developing Competence	Bands C-D: Intermediate Learners Students will be mostly focusing on developing Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). Oral and written language needed for academic success (e.g. writing essays, participating in everyday classroom activities and flourishing in the curriculum). 5-7 years to develop.
D	Competent
E	Fluent	Band E: Fluent Confidence in speaking, reading, writing and listening independently across a range of subject areas and genres. Use of English fluently and creatively in classroom contexts. Students may still need occasional support in accessing more complex material, using more sophisticated language and varying style and format of language to adapt to different contexts.

Government of Jersey Schools are required to hold Proficiency in English levels for all Key Stage 4 MLs.

Multilingual LearnersLenares joining from other Government of Jersey schools should already have PIE level recorded and will continue to be assessed periodically at Hautlieu until they reach Band E – Fluent in order to track their progress and provide support where needed.

Where students have joined from a school which was not required to assess the PIE of Multilingual Learners, an assessment will be carried out in conjunction with subject teachers as soon as possible.

Support

Multilingual learners are supported to access the full curriculum and fulfil their full academic potential. Student progress is monitored by subject teachers. Where there may be significant difficulties, subject teachers will refer students to the ML Lead and/or SENDCo team to establish whether the difficulty is primarily related to the student’s proficiency in English or whether there is another learning need.

World Languages Provision

Developing multiple languages supports cognitive development, literacy and confidence. Language skills prepare students for further study, employment and life in a global society. Hautlieu School is proud to offer students the opportunity to study a range of language qualifications taught by a specialist teacher:

GCSE Spanish

GCSE French

A Level French

A Level Spanish

HSK 1, HSK 2 & HSK 3 Mandarin

Home Language Provision

We are proud to have a linguistically and culturally diverse community at Hautlieu School, with over 20 languages spoken among staff, students and families. Where possible, students are supported in gaining formal qualifications in their home language.

Home Language GCSE

We recognise that our students come to us with a range of linguistic backgrounds. We value the languages they use at home as an important part of their identity and learning and we support students who wish to undertake a GCSE in their home language. For multilingual learners, we take a personalised approach to this, ensuring that the provision reflects their proficiency, confidence and overall timetable. Depending on individual needs and circumstances, students may study their home language as part of our World Language provision, or through one of the following routes:

Home Language GCSE – Timetabled Option Subject

Students can opt to study their Home Language at GCSE as one of their option subjects, alongside or instead of another language option. Students who take this option are expected to take a more independent approach to their learning and receive periodic support with a language specialist. For more information on the timetabled Home Language GCSE option, please see the 14+ Prospectus.

14+ 2026 Prospectus

Hautlieu