View our posts

18/10/24

pic.twitter.com/kPT8lltl02— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 18, 2024

18/10/24

Teachers and support staff began the day with smiles and raised money for charity at the gate pic.twitter.com/oiYb6SXPwD— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 18, 2024

18/10/24

From Albania 🇦🇱 to Bulgaria 🇧🇬 & Romania 🇷🇴 the children danced and celebrated their personal journeys and heritage pic.twitter.com/FD5aWEuc5u— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 18, 2024

18/10/24

Such a glorious and colourful collection of students today celebrating their and our cultures - From Brazil to Somalia; from Jamaica 🇯🇲 to Scotland with Mr Pittaway’s kilt. pic.twitter.com/0QYnrIs4z2— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 18, 2024

18/10/24

pic.twitter.com/lfTBgesDtZ— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 18, 2024

15/10/24

Here we are casually meeting the Prince of Wales and playing some non contact NFL American football 🏈 https://t.co/X3fOwWwFmW— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

15/10/24

HLAW with pic.twitter.com/GuTXIQrzeS— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

15/10/24

It’s and our canteen is decked out in style, with different African and Caribbean inspired cuisines each day, building up to our big celebration on Friday 🇸🇴 🇯🇲 🇩🇴 🇬🇭🇳🇬 🇰🇪 🇸🇩 🇱🇨 🇲🇦 🇱🇾 🇪🇬 🇩🇿 🇸🇸 🇹🇹 What are other academies doing for ? pic.twitter.com/ddiiGIvNnG— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

15/10/24

— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

15/10/24

check it out! ^^— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

15/10/24

Look who we met! 👑 pic.twitter.com/XcCDyLFPkc— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

15/10/24

HLAW were here! Pleasure to meet you, your highness. https://t.co/BkPlmB2g9i— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 15, 2024

11/10/24

Harris concert orchestra- 90+ musicians of all ages perform to a crowd of 5000. pic.twitter.com/lTn9xRwPDd— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

Lord Harris speaks of how he raised money for the community food hubs and buying coats | - Helping to wash clothes & installing washing machines pic.twitter.com/apTowwhuSX— Soarpoints () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

Out of this world performance from Harris in Harmony - this year students from composed and performed a new anthem for Harris Federation ! pic.twitter.com/aIATB3dsxX— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

Harris secondaries, primaries, and sixth forms achieve phenomenal results every year for all young people, and disadvantaged young people. HLAW’s Key Stage 4 progress results will be out soon - we think you’ll be impressed! 🙌🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/S28IkFqrkU— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

Sir Dan Moynihan outlines at our conference how well children are taught in in primary school - both for all students and children from disadvantaged backgrounds pic.twitter.com/7vaNeNPomO— Soarpoints () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

1 in 40 children live in a family accessing food banks, & figures are higher in London, community hubs are more than just a space for donations, they are community, welcoming, essential support. pic.twitter.com/xBvFcUgR4O— Harris Federation () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

Today is the Harris Federation conference. Our CEO, Sir Dan Moynihan, reminds us of the challenges facing children in London. Harris Primaries have stepped up and provide community hubs full of items for families in need. pic.twitter.com/YEjyqyZ3Y7— Harris Lowe Academy Willesden () October 11, 2024

11/10/24

Harris Federation schools now host community hubs to help wash clothes & to distribute toothpaste, toilet roll, nappies, toiletries & links to food banks | pic.twitter.com/S2DOr8mNiy— Soarpoints () October 11, 2024

Harris Academies
All Academies in our Federation aim to transform the lives of the students they serve by bringing about rapid improvement in examination results, personal development and aspiration.

Central Office

Bexley

Brent

Bromley

Clapham

Croydon

Greenwich

Haringey

Havering

Merton

Newham

Southwark

Stratford

Sutton

Thurrock

Wandsworth

Westminster

Latest News

Posted on June 2nd 2025

EAL - Empowering New Arrivals, One Lesson at a Time 

In this article we spotlight the work of our English as an Additional Language (EAL) department, which is small in size but mighty in impact.

Led by the dedicated duo of Mrs Mustafa and Mrs Ungurianu, this two-person team delivers exceptional support to our growing number of international students.

Every day, Mrs Mustafa and Mrs Ungurianu run targeted EAL intervention classes designed to help students who are new to English, many of whom arrive throughout the school year and begin at Stage A (new to English).

To ease their transition, these students take part in six-week EAL Induction Programme, where they attend a tailored curriculum focused on English acquisition. During this time, they participate in selected mainstream lessons such as Maths, Art, PE, MFL, and Cooking, while receiving intensive language support in place of other subjects.

Once students complete the induction, they gradually integrate into more mainstream subjects like English, RE, History, and Geography. For students in Key Stage 4, the EAL team also provides guidance in selecting options that are less language-intensive, such as Cooking, Textiles, and Art, and supports them in Functional Skills English. Additionally, many students have the opportunity to take a GCSE in their home language through the Community Languages programme.


Strong sense of community

Assessment is a cornerstone of the department’s approach. Students are assessed upon arrival to determine their English proficiency, and a detailed student profile is created and shared with all staff. This ensures that every teacher is equipped to support EAL learners effectively. Staff also benefit from specialised CPD sessions focused on differentiation strategies for EAL students.

To further enhance learning, the school has invested in Learning Island, a powerful AI-driven platform that supports English learning both in school and at home. Mrs Mustafa and Mrs Ungurianu use it in their lessons, and mainstream teachers can also create tailored resources for their students. Alongside this, the EAL classroom is stocked with a wide range of engaging books and dictionaries, including the popular English File series.

But the EAL department’s impact goes far beyond academics. They foster a strong sense of community and belonging by organising cultural celebrations such as Eid and Christmas, educational trips to Parliament, and even tree-planting activities - all of which help students feel seen, valued, and connected.

The EAL department at HLAW is a shining example of what inclusive, student-centred education looks like. Their commitment, creativity, and care make a lasting difference in the lives of every student they support.


What our EAL students say...

Don’t just take our word for it - read the student testimonials below. Their voices speak volumes. 

Isaac from Brazil: “The EAL department helped me improve my English by being patient and helpful. They were so kind. Now I can talk and speak English. The most helpful support I received was when I started the school because I was very shy. I remember a lesson where I felt proud because I did my first speech in English. I want others to know that the EAL department is so good and helpful.”                              

Isaac, do Brasil: "O departamento de EAL me ajudou a melhorar meu inglês sendo paciente e prestativo. Eles foram muito gentis. Agora eu consigo conversar e falar inglês. O apoio mais útil que recebi foi quando comecei na escola, porque eu era muito tímido. Lembro de uma aula em que me senti orgulhoso porque fiz meu primeiro discurso em inglês. Quero que outras pessoas saibam que o departamento de EAL é muito bom e prestativo." 


Scarleth from Ecuador: “Now I can speak and write better in class thanks to lessons and reading support that Ms U and Ms M helped me. I really appreciated it when the EAL teacher helped me with clear instructions because sometimes it was more hard. I remember a lessons when I felt proud because Ms U and Ms M gave me encouragement and reading support because we work in small groups. I enjoy EAL lessons because I’m progressing. Teachers should understand that EAL support helps students by making students feel confident.” 

Scarleth, de Ecuador: "Ahora puedo hablar y escribir mejor en clase gracias a las lecciones y al apoyo en lectura que me dieron la profesora U y la profesora M. Agradecí mucho cuando la profesora de EAL me ayudó con instrucciones claras porque a veces era más difícil. Recuerdo una clase en la que me sentí orgullosa porque la profesora U y la profesora M me dieron ánimo y apoyo en lectura, ya que trabajamos en grupos pequeños. Disfruto las clases de EAL porque estoy progresando y siempre me siento segura. Los profesores deben entender que el apoyo de EAL ayuda a los estudiantes al hacer que aprendan."