Hampshire Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS)

Early profiling

When does early profiling happen?

When a pupil is referred to the Hampshire Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) trained bilingual assistants and specialist teachers will carry out an assessment of the pupil's abilities. You will be contacted within 2 weeks to arrange an apointment.

Mainstream teachers and other education support agencies may also carry out early profiling. The parents/carers do not need to be present, but often schools do like to let parents know when the visit will happen. The visit may present an opportunity for the bilingual assistant to interpret on behalf of the parents, easing any concerns they or the school may have.

What is early profiling?

Early profiling consists of gathering a wide range of information from different sources (for example from the child, parents, teachers, class-room assistants, other agencies) so that assessment of a child's initial needs can be made. Information often includes details of previous education, cultural and religious background, linguistic skills, both in first language and in English. Additionally, Hampshire EMTAS uses the QCA pre National Curriculum steps for English to describe early attainment in English which can be found in 'A Language in Common: assessing English as an additional language' published by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in 2000.

The early profiling assessment includes in-class observations of the pupil's developing use of language across the curriculum, opportunities to assess use of first language, individual pupil targets and annotations of samples of work.

The early profiling process provides a starting point from which judgments about appropriate placement and support can be made.

The school is provided with a confidential report from Hampshire EMTAS and/or visit notes, which summarises the information that has been gathered and indicates appropriate support for the child and guidance for class/subject teachers.

Early profiling checklist

  1. Work with bilingual support to inform parents of National Curriculum assessment procedures.
  2. Provide opportunities for pupils to draft personal statements in first language, where appropriate.
  3. Use knowledge of the pupil's first language skills to plan support for English.
  4. Establish first language oracy/literacy skills via in-class observations and parent/pupil conferences; formally record bilingual skills.
  5. Ensure records of achievement give credit for extra-curricular community achievements e.g. weekend language classes.
  6. Establish previous learning/teaching styles; small group work may be unfamiliar.
  7. Distinguish between pupil's competence in social, conversational English and the need for support in taking on a range of subject based registers, e.g. scientific investigations or mathematical problem solving
  8. Provide additional visual support, repetition and bilingual support for self-assessment procedures.
  9. Recognise and reward progress in the pupil's developing use of English across the curriculum, including receptive understanding, body language and non-verbal gestures.
  10. Establish previous educational experiences and achievements in country of origin.
  11. Gather evidence of achievement in the understanding and use of English from all areas of the curriculum.
  12. Ensure that assessment tests contexts and materials are free from cultural bias.
  13. Record important religious/cultural background information e.g. dietary requirements, clothing appropriateness, religious observance days.