Ethnic Minority Achievement Specialists

What is an Ethnic Minority Achievement Specialist?

Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) specialists are teachers and consultants who:

• enable pupils for whom English is an Additional Language to gain access to the full curriculum using appropriate teaching and learning strategies.
• provide cognitive and academic language development for black and minority pupils who are currently underachieving especially aiming at A*-C grades.
• work in partnership with teaching colleagues to develop the planning, delivery and evaluation of lessons so that pupil, department and school targets are met effectively.
• provide training for subject specialists through partnership teaching, informal & formal training opportunities and whole school /departmental sharing of good practice.
• ensure that their own professional development needs are met by attending external training courses in addition to sharing good practice within the EMA/EAL team on a regular basis.

What does Empowering Learning offer in terms of EMA?

We work with a wide range of EMA teachers and consultants. We offer expert career advice and continuous professional development through regular meetings to discuss key issues with nationally recognised specialists within the field.

What does this training for EMA specialists consist of?

It includes sessions on:

• “Aiming high” How to plan using school data in order to teach strategically according to QCA guidance
• “Making the Grade” working with advanced bilingual learners.
• Inclusion and “Every Child Matters”
• Working with Refugees and Asylum Seekers
• Developing Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency across core subjects.
• Pre and post Ofsted evaluation
• “A Language in Common”: ensuring teaching and assessment are grounded in the National Curriculum.
• Working with “Hard to reach” families (extended school sessions for GCSE in home languages for parents & children studying together.)
• Gifted & Talented Assessment of MPA in maths, science & language.
• Asset languages
• Community Cohesion

Newly appointed EMA specialists will receive an initial consultancy in their new school.

Why use Empowering Learning?

Our advice is based on experience at the forefront of the EMA field. Our director, Lynne Hannigan, worked as an EMA specialist in the West Midlands and Inner London for over 20 years. She contributed to the publication “A language in Common”

One reason she set up Empowering Learning was to try to bridge the gap between the huge demand for EMA specialists and the shortage of professionals in this vital area, particularly within London and the South East. Consequently, the consultancy endeavours to recruit high quality, committed professionals to the EMA field and provide them with ongoing support and training.