English as an Additional Language

All parents/carers with EAL have the right to the services of an interpreter. Interpreters are booked through ASN Outreach and are funded centrally by Stirling Council. Parents/carers do not pay for this service.  While many bilingual parents and carers may have good social English skills, the complex vocabulary used in formal education meetings (e.g. enrolment and staged intervention) can lead to confusion.  Using interpreters can also give schools important information to plan the next steps in a bilingual child’s learning via parents or by assessing the child’s skill in their first language(s).  

Some parents/carers are happy to use friends or family members as interpreters during meetings but, if the meeting is important and perhaps dealing with confidential or sensitive issues, it is advisable to use an impartial, trained interpreter who will be fluent in both required languages. It is not appropriate for the pupils themselves or a sibling to be used as an interpreter in meetings.

We do not normally translate professional documents (e.g. reports and school brochures) for families as there is not always a direct translation of terms and comments. It is normally more effective to use an interpreter to discuss the particular subject or issue. This means that we can check if the parents understand the context and allows families to ask questions and take their own notes in their preferred language. It may be possible to combine this with a Staged Intervention meeting where an interpreter may be in attendance.  See previous section for details of how to request an interpreter.

Should you require any translation services, please contact the school or nursery.