At Merton Infant School we provide a range of support to children and families with English as an additional language (EAL) and have achieved the Bronze (May 2019) Gold (May 2021) (May 2023) EAL Excellence Award and in July 2025 we were the first school in Hampshire to be awarded the Diamond Excellence Award. 

Please see the link below for our published article in the Basingstoke Gazette 

https://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/25563258.basingstoke-school-wins-ethnic-minority-achievement-award/

In school, children are supported with their understanding of English within lessons through the use of EAL resources (word mats, talking tins, picture books etc.) and have additional adult support where required. Learning tasks are adapted to meet their individual needs, the same as for all of our children.

We engage with the Ethic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) for children and families that require additional support either in school or within their local community. This could be through referrals for Bi-Lingual Assistants for individual children or through attendance at events run in school by EMTAS such as parent tea/coffee events. We are also able to request support from EMTAS for parents evening meetings where translation to your first language may be required.

We are extremely proud to run the EMTAS Young Interpreter Scheme. Children are nominated from YR - Y2. Being a Young Interpreter supports and develops the children's confidence and empathy skills as well as providing the opportunity to have a leadership role from a young age. 

More information can be found below. 

Our Language of the half term is Nepali 

This half term the children will be learning how to speak in Nepali which is a language we have explored before.  As part of our Merton Values of Opportunity, this half term we will be celebrating our Culture Day on Friday 22nd May. We cant wait to dress up and embrace a range of different cultures! 

Mrs Relf is our EAL lead.