Melanie has worked as an EAL specialist for over 30 years. She gained QTS in 1990, has a Master’s degree in Education, a Postgraduate Diploma in Bilingualism in Education and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education Management. Her career spans teaching, professional development, inspection, consultancy and senior management and work in both primary and secondary schools. She has been a member of school and local authority EMA senior leadership teams, and qualified as an Ofsted inspector in 2003. She was an EAL consultant for the Greater Manchester Challenge and from 2014-2015 was CPD Coordinator and Project Manager of the British Council EAL Nexus project, a UK-wide programme delivering professional learning at regional and school level.  She was Head of the Curriculum and Language Access Service at Bury Council from 2006 to 2023, leading a team of teachers, bilingual support workers and administrative staff. Melanie has been a director of NASSEA for many years, developing the work and direction of the organisation. She has been the NASSEA co-ordinator for the University of Birmingham/ NASSEA Bilingualism in Education Programme for 22 years and is a recognised lecturer of the University of Birmingham. Melanie is the author of several professional development programmes focusing on language in the curriculum for classes with EAL learners, including Meeting the Needs of EAL Learners in Your Classroom, Language, Literacy and Learning for NASSEA and the Becoming Bilingual and Multilingual Learning programmes for Nord Anglia Education.

Alison has worked as a specialist teacher of EAL for more than 25 years in Greater Manchester mainly in secondary schools. She was the Deputy Manager of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service in Bury as well as leading the secondary team. Alison has had extensive experience working with international new arrivals and working in partnership with mainstream staff to raise attainment of learners with EAL in all curriculum areas but with a particular interest in English and in science. She has experience of marking the GCSE English language paper and developed resources for the Minority Ethnic Achievement Project which aimed to raise attainment for underachieving groups in both English and science in Key Stage 3.

Alison has also delivered CPD and workshops in schools, colleges and at conferences across the country focusing on EAL strategies and inclusion. She completed an MEd in Bilingualism in Education through Birmingham University and has now become one of the tutors on this course. This ensures that she continues to keep up to date with developments in EAL theory and pedagogy.

As a director of Fair Futures, Alison helps to facilitate after school groups for Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers and Refugees and for Ukrainian families. She also teaches ESOL classes for Hong Kong migrants.

Janet Holden has been a teacher for over 20 years, working as an EAL specialist for over half of her career. She has a modern foreign languages degree from University College, London and a Masters in Bilingualism in Education from Birmingham University. Currently she is working towards the National Award for SEN Coordination. Following her Masters dissertation on how children with EAL learn to read, she has led training and delivered workshops at conferences on Reading across the country in her role as a consultant for NASSEA (Northern Association of Support Services for Equality and Achievement). She has also been involved in the Greater Manchester Challenge as well as developing resources and delivering online training for international schools overseas. For a number of years she worked for an EMA service with a local authority in North West England as Primary Team Coordinator and latterly Deputy Service Manager. She is now one of the Fair Futures directors and has responsibility for diversity in the curriculum and health & safety at work.

Janna has worked as a primary EAL advisor and teacher for 35 years. She led the Primary National Strategy EAL Programme in Manchester and was joint coordinator of the EAL Hub in Warrington with Stockport.  Since joining Bury in 2012, Janna has continued to deliver training to colleagues in person and online, including Word Aware training.  She has worked in partnership with class teachers across Bury schools and beyond, supporting children learning EAL to improve outcomes and achievement.  She has delivered the Liverpool Talking Maths intervention in schools.  She has led the Linking Network’s Schools Linking Programme in Bury for the last five years and more recently, the Care Home FaNs Intergenerational Linking Programme. As a Fair Futures director, Janna has responsibility for linking programmes and safeguarding.

Monika qualified as a teacher in Poland and has an M.Ed in Childhood Pedagogy. After moving to the UK, Monika undertook a number of roles in schools. Since 2019, she has been working as a Specialist Teacher of EAL with a proven ability to create a positive and imaginative environment for pupils. In 2021, Monika gained an M.Ed Bilingualism in Education from the University of Birmingham and in 2022 achieved a 2022 Certificate in Counselling.

Monika is a dedicated teacher with over 20 years of experience, having worked in various educational settings such as kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, helping EAL students access the national curriculum and preparing EAL students for GCSEs.

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​Linda is a qualified EAL teacher, with a PGCE in EAL and German and a PgCert in Bilingualism in Education, who has worked in the field of EAL teaching since 1986. She has worked in a range of primary and secondary schools and local authority EMA services in Rochdale and Bury, supporting colleagues through partnership teaching; provision of resources; as well as in-class support.  She has led a team of teachers in Oldham, supporting asylum-seeker and refugee pupils and their families, providing in-class support and advising teachers. She has delivered training on assessment, EAL strategies, and teaching asylum seeker and refugee pupils. Linda led on a Show Racism the Red Card project in Oldham schools, including an art competition, workshops and assemblies. She always develops positive professional relationships with colleagues in schools and other agencies, in order to best support EAL learners.

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Azam has 23 years of experience working with EAL children. She has worked in different primary and secondary schools as a bilingual support worker. Azam was awarded a XXX and in XX achieved a Foundation Degree in Teaching and Learning. Her first language is Persian (Farsi) but she has worked with many EAL children from different backgrounds who don’t share her first language. Part of her role is to liaise with teachers and prepare resources for the children she works with. Azam also attends parent evenings, home visits and admission meetings as an interpreter. Writing progress reports, translation and interpreting are also included in her role. Azam has many years' experience of conducting GCSE Farsi/ Persian speaking exams.

Azam has 23 years of experience working with EAL children. She has worked in different primary and secondary schools as a bilingual support worker. Azam was awarded a XXX and in XX achieved a Foundation Degree in Teaching and Learning. Her first language is Persian (Farsi) but she has worked with many EAL children from different backgrounds who don’t share her first language. Part of her role is to liaise with teachers and prepare resources for the children she works with. Azam also attends parent evenings, home visits and admission meetings as an interpreter. Writing progress reports, translation and interpreting are also included in her role. Azam has many years' experience of conducting GCSE Persian speaking exams.

This is your Team Member description. Use this space to write a brief description of this person’s role and responsibilities, or add a short bio.