Primary Schools
Lichfield Cathedral School
Lily Lane Primary School is a three-form entry primary in Manchester. With around 700 children and just over 260 EAL pupils, their primary population is made up of children with all different kinds of backgrounds. Their EAL pupils range from new-to-English to fluent.
We spoke to Emma McCormick (EAL Coordinator) to find out how FlashAcademy® is helping them meet their EAL challenge at the school.
“The progress that they’ve all made since using FlashAcademy ® has doubled; it’s just fantastic!”
Emma McCormick, EAL Coordinator, Lily Lane Primary School
How did you learn about FlashAcademy®?
“We decided to bring FlashAcademy® into our school because I’d seen a demo of it, and it looked interesting. I thought it would help so many children on all different levels, whether they’re lower ability or higher ability.”
What impact has FlashAcademy® made in the classroom?
“The children here at Lily Lane have been more engaging since using FlashAcademy®. They’re spending time together and having fun, but still learning at the same time. The class is constantly checking with me to see where they are on the leader board and like to compete with friends on a regular basis. It’s the understanding that they have to improve each time which engages their competitive side!
With it being quite fun to do, the children are seeing it as a game and not as learning. Yet, when they come to the end of the session and see a score of 99% or even 100%, it shows the hard work they are achieving. There’s a real sense of pride over the fact they’ve learned something.”
How has the school benefitted from using FlashAcademy®?
“As I’m on my own working with a group of children, if they’re all speaking from a different dialect then it is a big language barrier for me, and a completely different task each time. We had one child who came to the school with no English at all, but since using FlashAcademy, he’s now reading basic words, sentences, and most importantly, he is enjoying the language acquisition.
The fact that it encourages independent learning is a real benefit, as it not only saves me time but increases their confidence too. It’s also that it’s not subjected solely to the classroom or with me; they can practice at home, allowing me to take a step back.”
