English as an Additional Language
We accept overseas students whose English is at a level which allows them to follow the full curriculum. Applications from students whose English is not at this standard are also considered. All pupils for whom English is an additional language receive EAL lessons (please refer to Fees page of the website) and further lessons can be arranged, as well as classroom support for pupils when required.
Pupils can enter the school in years 7 and 8 with Elementary English and Year 9 with Low-Intermediate. For Year 10 their English should ideally be Upper-Intermediate and for Year 12 Advanced. Pupils should aim to leave the school at Level 6.5/CAE or 7.5/CPE (Certificate in Proficiency English).
Overseas pupils applying to Battle Abbey School take a Placement Test to check their level of English and if necessary a short piece of writing is required, and a short telephone interview to assess their speaking level.
English as an Additional Language pupils at Battle Abbey School take Cambridge ESOL examinations (English for Speakers of Other Languages) KET and PET (Key/Preliminary English Tests) FCE and CAE ( First Certificate English and Certificate in Advanced English) and in the Sixth Form IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, as required for university applications.
The EAL department is situated in its own space at the Business Education Centre and has three teachers teaching full time as well as part-time native speaker Russian, Cantonese and Mandarin teachers providing EAL and GCSE and A Level exam teaching in each of these languages. There is a Mandarin Club for lower years and Business Mandarin is available in the Sixth form.
Regular INSET sessions are held by the EAL Department to ensure that subject teachers are aware of proven methods to make their lessons ‘EAL-friendly’.
This year the boarding community includes students from Hong Kong and mainland China, Thailand, Taiwan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Germany, Austria, Spain, France and Slovakia.
EAL students who completed Year 13 at Battle Abbey School this year are now studying Art at St Martins, Computer Science with Business Management, Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Mathematics, Fashion, Marketing and Management, Business Management, Business with Finance, and Accounting, Finance and Management.