Young Interpreters

Welcome to Brighton Avenue Primary School's amazing and proud Young Interpreters for 2024-2025!

Young Interpreters Scheme 2024-2025

The Young Interpreter Scheme offers training for learners to develop the skills needed to help new arrivals with English as an Additional Language feel welcome and settled in their new school environment. The scheme also develops the confidence, communication and leadership skills of the Young Interpreters. The Young Interpreter Scheme is a great way to develop an inclusive whole-school culture.

Young Interpreters undergo specific training to prepare for this role and are selected on the basis of different personal qualities they may have. The support they can offer to a newly-arrived pupil can be very reassuring from a parent or carer's point of view at a time when their child may be adapting to substantial changes. It also supports school staff and parents in a variety of ways at different points during the school day.

Bilingual pupils use their language skills in a variety of ways to help new arrivals access English and feel part of the school. Alongside English-only speakers, they learn different strategies to clarify, explain and ‘interpret’ a whole range of school activities, systems and procedures to new entrants through the medium of pupil–friendly English where first language isn’t shared by other pupils or adults.

Young Interpreters do not replace the need for professional adult interpreters. Young Interpreters are trained and guided by our EAL specialist staff who can ensure pupils’ safeguarding. Young Interpreters are trained and guided in their role by a designated member of staff using resources and guidance available to subscribing schools on Moodle. Lesson plans describe how to deliver this training to infants, juniors or secondary pupils.

At Brighton Avenue, we have approximately 37 different languages spoken by children and their families. This scheme will help us to celebrate those languages and support children across the curriculum at school.

Some of the comments from children:

• I want to be a young Interpreter because I want to help other children who speak my language.
• It is important for us to support other EAL children so they can play with others and make friends.
• I think Young Interpreters scheme is important to help people who are new to the country or English language. I still remember how I felt when I started school with no English.

If you would like to find out more about the scheme: