About the Intensive English Centre
The Ellenbrook Primary School Intensive English Centre will be part of Ellenbrook Primary School and will offer a specialised intensive English language program for newly arrived Year 1 and 2 students with limited or no English skills. The program will focus on developing students' communication skills in English to help them integrate into mainstream schooling. The centre will aim to support students in becoming fully integrated into the school community through participation in school-wide events such as assemblies and faction carnivals as well as educational activities and social interactions.
Educational Program Details
The centre will provide intensive English tuition for primary school students who come to Western Australia with limited English language capability. Students will typically spend one or two years in the Intensive English Centre, with funding allocated for each enrolled student and specialist staff to enable smaller class sizes.
Program Benefits
The Intensive English Centre will offer:
- Specialised intensive English language teaching support.
- Smaller class sizes (up to 15/16 students) supporting individualised learning.
- Cultural support in a nurturing environment
- Free daily bus service for primary school-aged children
Curriculum and Transition
The centre will provide differentiated, oral, and written English learning programs based on the Western Australian Curriculum, targeting individual students' English language learning needs. Subjects studied with specialist teachers will include Physical Education, Mathematics, Science, and the Arts. Teachers and IEC administration will also work with students’ schools of origin to support a smooth transition to mainstream classes.
Eligibility for IEC
Students will be eligible if they:
- are in the Beginning or Emerging Phase of learning Standard Australia English (SAE) in all language modes, as assessed using the English as an Additional Learning/Dialect (EAL/D) Progress Map
- hold an eligible visa category or hold Australian citizenship
- are in Years 1-6
- are assessed as Stage 1*
*Stage 1:
- Students born in Australia and enrolled in Year 1; or
- Students who have been in Australia no longer than a year, have enrolled within six months of arrival and are in their first year of schooling in Australia; or
- Students who have had limited schooling, i.e., have received less than three years of continuous schooling prior to arrival in Australia, and who are within the first two years of schooling in Australia.
Ellenbrook IEC’s Foundation Year and Our Classes
The IEC is beginning in 2025 with two Year 1/2 classes, one phase one and one phase two.
Phase 1 Classes: The focus of the Phase 1 teaching and learning program is the development of students’ English oral language skills. Students are also learning to read and write in English at this phase.
Phase 2 Classes: Phase 2 classes continue to develop and extend students’ English oral language skills along with the continued development of reading and writing skills.
There is a preferred ratio of 1 teacher to 16 students, however fluctuations occur throughout the school year due to constant enrolments and transitions to mainstream schooling which may at times result in student numbers being lower or higher than 16 in a class.
Enrolments in the IEC Program
Ellenbrook Intensive English Centre (IEC) conducts continuous enrolments throughout the 4 school terms during the school year. Students can be enrolled at the IEC soon after arriving in Australia. The program is 12 months in duration; however, the program can be extended by an additional 12 months for students holding humanitarian visa subclasses. An appointment to determine eligibility with the IEC Deputy Principal must be made prior to a student commencing at the IEC. Enrolments can take up to 2 hours and when necessary, interpreters are provided.
Ethnic Education Assistants
In late 2024, the IEC is in the process of employing Ethnic Education Assistants (EEAs) who are multilingual and speak second (and often third, fourth and fifth) languages as well as English. The EEAs assist the teachers in the teaching and learning program and as required, assist students and parents with interpreting. In the event the EEAs are unable to speak a required language or are unavailable, the IEC will utilise external interpreting services.
Assessment and Reporting
Ellenbrook Intensive English Centre teachers use The English as an Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) Progress Map to monitor, assess and report on students within the IEC. The EAL/D Progress Map is a Western Australian planning, monitoring and assessment tool for all students requiring support in developing Standard Australian English (SAE) who come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds whether arriving from overseas or born in Australia. The EAL/D progress Map is aligned to the Western Australian Curriculum and applies to all learning areas.
Reporting Cycle
Students at Ellenbrook IEC are reported on each semester (at the end of Term 2 and Term 4) as per the requirements of the Department of Education’s ‘Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy (CAR) K –10: Policy and Guidelines’. Parent interviews will be held with the student’s classroom teacher to discuss the student’s final report when they are due to transition from the IEC into mainstream schooling. Parents may request an interview with their child’s classroom teacher at any time, however an appointment must be made. When necessary, an interpreter will be provided.
Ellenbrook IEC Bus Transport
The Education Department of Western Australia provides a designated bus service for students attending Intensive English Centre (IEC) programs. Access to the bus service is dependent on the student’s visa category, distance the student lives from the IEC and seat availability. Ellenbrook IEC buses provide transport for students living within the Ellenbrook IEC catchment area. Please contact the IEC Office on (08) 9297 7300 for information regarding the suburbs that fall within this catchment area. All IEC buses have Bus Aides who supervise students while on the bus. Students are picked up at their home in the morning and brought to Ellenbrook Primary School. In the afternoon students are picked up from the school and taken home. For parents who would prefer to drive their child, there is parking on the street outside the school or at the shopping centre which the school backs onto.