A Pupil Is Falling Behind. Is It EAL or SEND? How to Spot the Signs

Webinars
A Pupil Is Falling Behind. Is It EAL or SEND? How to Spot the Signs

students with SEND

Teachers registered:

A Pupil Is Falling Behind. Is It EAL or SEND? How to Spot the Signs

A pupil struggles to follow instructions, avoids classroom activities or falls behind despite extra support. Is it a language barrier, a special educational need, or both? The signs can look remarkably similar, but the support each pupil needs may be very different.

In this practical webinar, you'll learn what to look for, how to identify possible barriers to learning and which classroom strategies can help pupils engage and make progress.

Gosia Wozniak

Specialist in students with SEND

Is This for You?

Primary and secondary school teachers
EAL and SEND coordinators (SENCOs)
Teaching assistants
School leaders and inclusion leads
Initial Teacher Training (ITT) participants and Early Career Teachers (ECTs)
Education support staff working with multilingual or neurodiverse learners

What You'll Take Away

When a pupil struggles in class, it's not always clear whether the difficulty comes from learning English, an underlying special educational need, or a combination of both. This webinar will help you recognise the key indicators, understand why EAL and SEND difficulties can look alike, and avoid making assumptions about what a pupil needs.

But recognising the problem is only the first step. You'll also explore how anxiety and confidence affect readiness to learn, how to reduce barriers in your lessons, and how to choose strategies that support participation and progress.

You'll learn how to:

Spot the signs: Recognise indicators that can help distinguish EAL-related difficulties from possible SEND needs.
Look beyond the behaviour: Understand why similar classroom difficulties may have different underlying causes.
Build confidence and engagement: Help anxious or reluctant pupils feel more ready to participate in learning.
Plan inclusive lessons: Adapt teaching activities to reduce language and learning barriers for EAL and SEND pupils.
Use practical classroom strategies: Support understanding, participation and learning through everyday teaching approaches.
Check what's working: Monitor progress, evaluate the support you're providing and identify when adjustments are needed.
You'll leave with a clearer understanding of what to observe, what to consider before choosing an intervention, and how to make your teaching more accessible to pupils with different needs.

How It Works

1

Register for the webinar

Simply enter your name and email address on the webinar page.
2

Get an email reminder

We'll send you the details and remind you before the session.
3

Join us live

At the scheduled time, click the link and take part in the webinar.

Your host

Gosia Wozniak

EAL, SEND, language acquisition, autism and ADHD, inclusive education

Wed 18 November 2026 • 6pm UK time - 60 minutes

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