Teach Secondary Essential Resource Guide 2025/2026

The Oaks Academy is a thriving oversubscribed secondary school in Crewe where EAL learners make up around 40% of pupils. In September 2020 the school joined The Learning Partnership (formerly The Learning Alliance), and in April 2024 – for the first time in its history – received a rating of of ‘Good’ by Ofsted. AN EAL SUPPORT BASELINE To support its growing EAL intake, the school adopted FlashAcademy® to deliver structured and trackable English language support. When Louise Ellmans assumed the role of EAL lead, she was tasked with building a stronger, more structured programme for EAL learners. “ To ensure EAL students had access to the same ambitious learning experience as everyone else, I needed to make sure the data we had on their proficiency was accurate and up to date ,” she explains. The school had already invested in FlashAcademy®, with Louise leading its rollout by enrolling and assessing every EAL learner within the first half term. “ We rolled out the digital assessment across the whole cohort – and for the first time, we could clearly see where each student was across listening, speaking, reading and writing, ” Louise continues. This insight gave her the foundation needed to plan targeted support: “ It was the missing piece, ” she concludes. 520 such assessments have been completed since September 2023, which now form the basis of the school’s EAL strategy. STRUCTURED INTERVENTIONS The digital assessment’s setup and lesson management proved straightforward, thanks to FlashAcademy®’s integration with the school’s MIS – initially SIMS and latterly Arbor. As well as being used as an assessment tool, FlashAcademy® has become a key part of the intervention timetable at The Oaks Academy. Learners working at Bands A to C complete regular lessons set by their teacher, which are tailored to their level of ability. “ We aim for 90% success as standard, ” explains Louise. “ If students Contact: team@flashacademy.com flashacademy.com/secondary-schools FlashAcademy Find out how FlashAcademy® is equipping The Oaks Academy to support every EAL learner CLOSE UP ON... don’t reach that, they repeat the lesson. For more difficult tasks, we lower the target slightly to 75 to 80%, depending on the student. ” Since October 2023, pupils have completed 7,217 lessons (and 339 of those in just the past three months). The majority of lessons to date – 225 – have focused on English language, but students have also been able to access subject-specific content in preparation for their GCSE studies, including biology (25 lessons), economics (20) and chemistry (9). Their progress is monitored by the EAL teacher, with FlashAcademy® used to reinforce their language development and improve access to curriculum content. CONFIDENT, CONSISTENT VISIBILITY FlashAcademy® has transformed how The Oaks Academy supports its EAL learners, by giving staff reliable data and giving pupils the tools to thrive. Learners look forward to their intervention sessions, enjoy tracking their results and will often revisit lessons to improve their previous scores. “ They are able to work at their own pace through the lessons, and the boys in particular enjoy making the 90% a competition between them, ” says Louise. Printable class-based resources are used to consolidate learning, but students prefer the digital platform. “ They enjoy seeing their results, ” she adds. “ Because they’re assessed across four areas, there’s usually some element of progress to recognise — even if they haven’t moved up a full band. ” All assessment data is saved in FlashAcademy®. “ I have to regularly report to the Trust and governors, so for me, FlashAcademy® is a great tool to show progress – and the fact that students really enjoy it is fantastic for them! ” MEASURABLE EAL PROGRESS FlashAcademy® helps schools and Trusts accelerate English language acquisition and deliver consistent EAL provision while reducing teacher workload. The newly launched AI-assisted marking feature saves 150 hours of teacher time each year, combined with real-time tracking to support effective planning and intervention. The platform includes a teacher dashboard for assessment and progress monitoring, alongside a learning app with curriculum-aligned lessons. With 48 home languages, MIS integration, regular webinars for teachers and printable resources, FlashAcademy® supports measurable EAL outcomes across diverse classrooms and settings. teachwire.net ESSENTIAL SCHOOL RESOURCES 2025/26 6