Is your child ill?

Please report absence here.

 Sixth Form Open Evening – Thursday 13 November 2025 from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm

Celebrating our diversity

"The teachers at TDMS help you a lot and when you need them, they are always here to support you."
"The teachers in EAL department are very friendly with everyone. I love the fact that if you do not understand something at first, they will explain it to you again and again until you understand. I also get homework support which helps me a lot."
"I believe that EAL department is very helpful for foreign students. I am from abroad, so it is good that I can come here and speak in my native language."

TDMS is committed to meeting the needs of each of its students regardless of ethnicity, personal background or faith.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is a broad term which refers to students for whom English is traditionally not their own or their family’s first language. This can cover a large spectrum of ability in spoken English, language comprehension and writing skills.

We are extremely proud that approximately a quarter of our students are classed as EAL. There are over 24 different languages spoken every day at TDMS. The most common language spoken by our EAL students is Polish with a significant number of students joining from Bulgaria and Romania and some representation of the Baltic languages; particularly Lithuanian and Russian. Over the past 12 months our EAL population has increased partly due to our ongoing support and welcome as well as a result of the tensions abroad. We now have students who speak the following languages: Afghan, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Hindi, Italian, Kurdish, Latvian, Macedonian, Malayalam, Panjabi, Portuguese, Shona, Slovak, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese. The family profile for the majority of EAL students at the school is first generation EU migrants. Their educational background is varied in terms of length, focus, quality and style of teaching and learning.

Listen to our Ukrainian students talking about the conflict in the Ukraine

For further information on our support for our EAL students or if you are interested in joining our diverse TDMS family, please contact  Mrs Rogers, our Director of MFL, here

Whilst being clear that EAL is not SEND (‘special need’) or a ‘learning difficulty’, the school acknowledges that students with EAL often have an additional need in terms of accessing the language used by staff and peers, and related learning issues, which can lead to underachievement and isolation.

 

Therefore, we will endeavour to:

  • Ensure EAL students have full access to the curriculum and other school opportunities
  • Be proactive in removing any barriers that stand in the way of our EAL students fulfilling their potential
  • Provide our EAL students, particularly those who are newly arrived (INA), with a safe, welcoming environment where they are accepted, valued and encouraged to participate
  • Where possible, offer students an opportunity to take a GCSE or A level qualification in their home language
  • Encourage students to retain and celebrate their cultural heritage
Please see our EAL policy for further information