English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Location Profile

The Geelong English Language School (GELS)

• provides English as an Additional Language (EAL) instruction to eligible Foundation to Year 10 students who are Newly Arrived in Australia

• supports teachers and schools in the Greater Geelong area to build EAL teaching skills and develop appropriate EAL programs and policies for students within their first five years of school in Australia

Location and delivery

GELS delivers an intensive English language program for New Arrivals students at three campuses; Northern Bay College Wexford (F-Yr6), North Geelong Secondary College (Yr7-10) and our Belmont campus (F-Yr6). The school's main administrative campus is located at 12 Pickett Cres, Belmont, Geelong.

Students in our English language programs come from a wide range of language, cultural and educational background backgrounds. Students are taught in classes of about 13 to ensure that their English language, social learning and wellbeing needs are intensively catered for before they are supported to transition to their mainstream school after 6 or 12 months of English instruction. A school-wide student wellbeing strategy ensures that students and their families are welcomed and supported as newly arrived members of our wider community. 

Our school also employs multicultural education aides (MEAs) who work in the classroom to support students in their first language to learn English and provide valuable connections with our families in their own language.

GELS has 3 core values: Respect, Responsibility and Community.

GELS also provides support to build EAL capacity within…