Learning English as an additional language at school

Our schools are funded to support students who are learning English.

Schools can arrange an English assessment to help work out the best way to support your child.

If your child is going into year 11 or 12, they can also study English as an additional language (EAL) to help them prepare for higher education. To find out more, visit the Board of Senior Secondary Studies EAL course.

Introductory English Centres

If your child is learning English, and speaks little or no English, the school may refer them to an Introductory English Centre (IEC).

We have IECs at 6 Canberra public schools. These offer:

• intensive help to learn English for kindergarten to year 12 students
• a safe and inviting place to get used to Australian school life
• 20 weeks of English learning if your child is in primary school
• 30 weeks of English learning if your child is in secondary school.

After your child has attended the IEC, they continue their schooling at their local public school.

Your child may not need to attend an IEC if they are still learning English. Their local public school can provide English support.

How to enrol in an IEC

First, you need to enrol your child in a public school. Your child is guaranteed a place at a public school within your Priority Enrolment Area (PEA).

To enrol in an IEC:

1. Find a school in your PEA.
2. Enrol your child in a public school.
3. The school will then:
   • complete an English language assessment
   • speak with you before referring you to an IEC near your home.

The IEC will contact you to arrange an IEC visit. You can then decide if you want to accept a place at the IEC.

Find an IEC near your home

IECs are at these locations:

• Belconnen Primary Introductory English Centre (BPIEC) at Charnwood Dunlop School
• Northside Primary Introductory English Centre (NPIEC) at North Ainslie Primary School
• Southside Primary Introductory English Centre (SPIEC) at Hughes Primary School
• Tuggeranong Primary Introductory English Centre (TPIEC) at Wanniassa Hills Primary School
• Gungahlin Primary Introductory English Centre (GPIEC) at Franklin School
• Secondary Introductory English Centre (SIEC) at Dickson College

Asking for an interpreter

If your child is attending a public school, you can ask the school to arrange an interpreter. The school organises this through the National Translating and Interpreting Service.

When the school organises an interpreter:

• it is free
• the interpreter usually provides their service over the phone.

You can also ask the school to arrange an interpreter to attend parent-teacher interviews and meetings with the school.

How to support your child’s learning

Learn how you can support your child's learning at school in our advice for parents.

• Advice for parents [PDF 1.1 MB]
• Advice for parents – Arabic [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Burmese [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Cantonese [PDF 1.3 MB]
• Advice for parents – Dari [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Farsi [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Hindi [PDF 1.3 MB]
• Advice for parents – Karen [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Korean [PDF 1.3 MB]
• Advice for parents – Mandarin [PDF 1.3 MB]
• Advice for parents – Mon [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Urdu [PDF 1.2 MB]
• Advice for parents – Vietnamese [PDF 1.2 MB]

Contact us

Contact our English as an additional language or dialect (EALD) team if you have any questions or want to find out more.