The five proficiency bands
Every strategy is tagged with the bands it suits. The bands are deliberately simple, so schools using any framework can map across to them.
Why five bands
Schools describe English proficiency in different ways. Some use WIDA levels, some use the Bell Foundation’s EAL Assessment Framework, and many have their own scale.
These five bands are a neutral, plain-language scale for choosing strategies. Map your own scale onto them as a school, using your framework’s guidance, and agree the mapping so everyone uses it the same way. The bands are for planning support, not for assessing or reporting on students.
- 1
New to English
Knows little or no English. Understands mainly through pictures, gesture, routine and the home language. Some students say little at first while they listen and take in the language, and this is common.
- 2
Early acquisition
Uses everyday words and short phrases, and follows routine instructions. Needs visual support, sentence frames and plenty of repetition to take part in lessons.
- 3
Developing
Talks about familiar topics with some confidence and reads and writes simple texts. Academic vocabulary and longer texts are still hard without support.
- 4
Consolidating
Takes part in most lessons with light support. Writing is mostly clear, though academic vocabulary, complex sentences and accuracy still need work.
- 5
Fluent
Uses English across the curriculum much like classmates. May still benefit from support with the most demanding academic language and subject writing.
Students rarely sit neatly in one band. Speaking is often ahead of writing, and a student can be confident in maths and still struggle in history. Choose strategies for the skill and the lesson you are working on.
Movement between bands takes time, often more than a school year for the later bands. Review each student’s band at least twice a year.