Onboarding checklist for new students with limited English

This article is for admissions staff, homeroom teachers and language-support teachers at schools welcoming new students with limited English. After reading, you will be able to turn a checklist into your own school's plan, from before arrival to the first month. The sources below come from different countries and years, so use them as material for your own questions rather than as rules that fit your school exactly.

Records worth collecting from families before arrival

A 2015 article in the American Foreign Service Association's journal advises families to keep school records and lists of textbooks and syllabi at every move. The reason is that the new school can then place the child and award credit more easily. Schools can read this the other way round: write into your admissions pack which documents you will ask families for.

For example, you might request previous grade records, a list of materials studied and the order of maths courses. The same article notes that integrated maths can complicate transfers. If a child needs learning support, ask what support was received at the previous school.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's 2026 guidance on returnee transfers, the principal decides the grade through document review and, where required, subject assessments. Timing and procedure can differ by region and school, so confirm your own school's standard with the local education office and school regulations.

Assess English on entry, and again later

The 2020 study by the University of Oxford Department of Education and The Bell Foundation recommends assessing English proficiency on entry and throughout schooling to find the pupils who need the most support. In other words, one assessment is not enough.

Canada's immigration department guide 'Welcome to Canada' (republished by Newcomers Canada, as of April 2021) describes a similar flow. Children entering a school for the first time are assessed by the school or school board for level and for English or French language support. The guide also says popular public schools have waiting lists, so families should register before the end of August. This is a Canadian example, so schools elsewhere should check with their own local authority.

An entry assessment is not a test to sort children. Explain to the child and family first that its purpose is to find out what help is needed. That can ease the child's nerves.

English takes time to settle

The same study analysed data on EAL pupils in England. Of pupils who started Reception as 'new to English', 31% reached 'competent' or 'fluent' by the end of primary school. Over three-quarters reached 'developing competence'. Many needed more than six years of support to become proficient.

The researchers find English proficiency is the main factor in EAL pupils' attainment. Pupils rated competent or fluent are also more likely than monolingual peers to achieve higher GCSE results. These figures come from England, so do not apply them directly to your school.

The implication is still clear. Planning support over several years is closer to reality than planning it for one term. It can also ease the impatience of teachers who ask, "Why hasn't it improved after a few months?"

Do not treat the home language as something to erase

UNESCO's 21 February 2025 article on its new report, published on International Mother Language Day, says that education based on the home language lays the foundation for basic literacy and improves outcomes across subjects including maths and science. It adds that instruction in the home language for up to six or eight years, with a second language introduced first as a subject and later as a parallel medium, accelerates learning.

One caution applies. This is a policy recommendation for settings where the home language is the school language. It does not directly say how to keep Korean going for a child in a foreign-language school.

A reasonable role for the school is therefore this: do not discourage families who want to continue Korean reading and writing, and point them to local resources such as weekend Korean schools when asked. The specific plan should be set by the family to suit the child's age and school setting.

The first month: one adult, one friend, a steady day

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, page last reviewed 18 November 2024) describes school connectedness as students feeling that adults and peers at school care about them as individuals and about their learning. It summarises that connected students are more likely to have higher grades, better attendance and to graduate from high school. The page lists no separate actions for parents, but it can serve as a lens in a child's first month: is the child connecting with at least one adult and one friend?

For example, name one adult, not necessarily the homeroom teacher, who knows the child by name. Also pick one peer to be with at break time.

Look at daily rhythm too. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2016 consensus statement recommends 9-12 hours a day for healthy children aged 6-12 and 8-10 hours for teenagers aged 13-18. Right after a move, jet lag and a new schedule can disturb routines, so these ranges can help in setting bedtimes and wake-up times. They are general recommendations, and sleep problems belong with a medical professional.

Sam's one-line tip

Before any English assessment on day one, introduce the family to one adult who will be there to call the child by name.

Checklist

• Requested previous grade records, textbook and syllabus lists and the order of maths courses.
• Asked whether the child received learning support at the previous school.
• Assessed English on entry and set when to look again.
• Explained to the child and family that the assessment is for support.
• Planned English support over several years.
• Respected the family's plan for the home language and prepared to point to local resources if asked.
• Named one adult and one peer to connect with the child during the first month.
• Talked with the family about daily rhythm, such as bedtime and wake-up time.

Confirm with the owner

• Who sets our entry assessment method and timing, and when is reassessment done?
• Is additional English support offered, and what are the capacity and next-year continuation?
• How do we decide grade and credit when previous records are thin?
• What are the application timing and procedure for students joining mid-year?
• Are there local resources that support or guide families on Korean or other home languages?

Your next step

Open your school's admissions pack and check whether the document list you ask families for includes previous records, textbook and syllabus lists and the order of maths courses.