Dr Helen Wood

Head of School Partnerships, Password English Language Testing, UK

Workshop Information:

How can we move beyond a single admissions or arrival testing snapshot to truly understand multilingual learners’ academic language profiles — and use that understanding to inform ongoing support and progress? This interactive session explores how reliable baseline assessment can do more than identify needs: it can empower teachers and learners by shaping clear, language pathways. Drawing on examples from international and British-curriculum schools, we’ll look at how assessment data can be aligned with curriculum expectations, used to monitor linguistic progress, and integrated into teaching practice. Participants will leave with practical tools and frameworks for connecting assessment insight to targeted classroom support — turning data into meaningful action.

Session Outcomes:

Participants will:

• Evaluate current testing practices and the significance of academic language proficiency.

• Explore how high-quality baseline data can inform learning pathways for multilingual learners.

• Reflect on examples of whole-school systems where assessment supports both admissions and ongoing learning.

• Identify practical steps to empower classroom teachers with accessible, meaningful learner data.

Biography:

Educated in Wales with a Doctorate from Geneva University, Dr Helen Wood brings first-hand experience of the highs and lows of multilingual education experience.   Former Deputy Chair of the British Association of Independent Schools with International Students (BAISIS) and Head of the International Section of d’Overbroeck’s College, Oxford, she joined Password in 2018.