English as a Second Language (ESOL)

ESOL is fun!

Windlesham welcomes children from around the world, and in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) we aim to improve their English skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and systems (lexis, pronunciation, grammar and discourse).

It is very important to us that children who come to the school from a non-English speaking background start to communicate as soon as possible. This happens quickly, as children make friends and join in Windlesham House life. We work on improving grammatical accuracy as the children gain confidence with fluency, and our goal is for each child to function happily in classroom and social situations.

Vibrant and inspiring lessons motivate the children, with activities, games and exercises to reinforce their learning. We make full use of modern technology including iPads to enhance the experience.

″The teachers are very supportive and there whenever you need them to help, they are like extra houseparents.″

Clara, Windlesham Pupil

Small groups and one-to-one teaching

We support and help the children as they take part in the day-to-day life of school and in their lessons. Teaching small groups of children means that we are able to respond specifically to each child’s needs.

The department also often provides one-to-one teaching and each child has the opportunity to flourish in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where children can practice their English skills and obtain extra support.

We encourage the children to learn English at a fast pace so that they can feel confident and excel in exams and go to their first choice of senior school. As children progress through the school, we also offer support in other subjects; for example, helping with geography or history revision.

As well as the internal exams, Windlesham House children gain excellent results in Cambridge ESOL exams and we love seeing them succeed.

Cultural trips

As well as lessons, we organise a number of trips for the children as this is a very important part of the ESOL experience. We go out as a group to local places of interest and take part in activities as diverse as archery and pond dipping. The children love learning about the local area and have produced wonderful written work as a result. Previous trips have been to the Observatory Science Centre at Herstmonceux and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Arundel.