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Purpose of this policy
To ensure that parents or guardians of newly arrived students for whom English is an additional language are aware of what intensive English language support is available for their children, and how it can be accessed.
Policy
Principals or their delegates must tell parents or guardians of newly arrived English as an Additional Language (EAL) students of their eligibility to attend an English language school/centre or participate in the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program, if assessed as requiring an intensive English program.
New arrivals provision
The Department provides intensive EAL instruction to prepare students for participation in mainstream schools.
Students typically attend an English language school/centre for between six and twelve months, depending on their educational background and/or refugee/humanitarian status.
The Virtual New Arrivals Program is available for students in isolated or rural schools who cannot access an English language school/centre.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible to attend an English language school/centre or participate in the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program students:
- must hold a visa that entitles them to enrol in a Victorian government school and attract SRP funding
- must speak a language other than English as their main language at home
- must have proficiency in English that is determined, at the local level by a school or English language school, to require intensive assistance to enable them to participate fully in mainstream classroom programs
- must begin at an English language school/centre or enrol in the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program
- within 18 months of arrival if entering the first year of primary schooling
- within six months of arrival if entering any other year of schooling
- at the time of enrolling in an English language school/centre or the Virtual EAL New Arrivals Program, must be undertaking or intending to undertake primary or secondary education at a Victorian Government school as soon as practicable after completing the course.
International students
Fee paying overseas students requiring an intensive English language course before entering mainstream classes can enrol in an English language school/centre to undertake such a course.
Students must enrol in a school through the International Student Program before enrolling in an English language school/centre.
Department resources