Melanie has worked as an EAL specialist for over 35 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 and senior leadership teams, and qualified as an Ofsted inspector in 2003. She was an EAL consultant for the Greater Manchester Challenge and 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.  Melanie was Head of the Curriculum and Language Access Service at Bury Council from 2006 to 2023 and has been a director of NASSEA for many years. She was 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 of 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 several years' experience of being an exam board marker for the GCSE English language paper and developed resources for both the Minority Ethnic Achievement Project, which aimed to raise attainment for underachieving groups in both English and science in Key Stage 3, and for the British Council EAL Nexus programme, where she worked as a Resource Specialist.

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 the University of Birmingham and later worked as a tutor and supervisor on this course, becoming a recognised lecturer of the university. These additional areas of work ensure 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, teaches EAL learners in schools and teaches pupils in Alternative Provision.

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 the University of Birmingham. Janet holds 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. 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 safeguarding, SEND, diversity in the curriculum and health & safety at work. Janet teaches EAL learners in schools, adults in ESOL classes and pupils in Fair Futures' Alternative Provision, as well as leading a range of school and community-based projects.

Ula has been working in the field of EAL for over 15 years, much of it spent teaching in primary and secondary schools within Bury. She has worked as a Leading Teacher of EAL for several years, teaching pupils learning EAL as well as students from specific communities, such as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children and refugee children. Ula also taught English as a Foreign Language in Poland for two years, before moving to the UK. In 2014, she graduated from the University of Birmingham where she obtained an M.Ed. in Bilingualism in Education. Ula is a qualified Level 3 Community Interpreter and ran a Polish Club for primary school students for over 10 years. She also promotes community languages and raises cultural awareness by working as a teacher examiner for the GCSE speaking exam in Polish, delivering CPD and running school assemblies related to cultural events and festivals. Ula is Fair Futures' assessment coordinator, with substantial experience of carrying out dual language and EAL/SEN assessments and of coordinating Fair Futures GCSE languages work across Greater Manchester and beyond.  Ula works on the Schools Linking and Intergenerational Linking projects in Bury and will be coordinator for these areas of work from September 2025.

Anna Atsu has worked in EAL teaching since 2014, working in both primary and secondary schools in Northwest England. She has worked as a Specialist Teacher of English as an Additional Language for several years, working in schools teaching pupils learning EAL, developing teaching materials, delivering professional development courses, and advising teachers on supporting EAL pupils and raising the achievement of minority ethnic learners.

Anna studied at the University of Birmingham, achieving a Master's degree in Bilingualism in Education. She is a Polish and French teacher and a qualified editor, with a passion for languages, cultures and books. She is also a translator specialising in arts and culture and a writer of educational resources for bilingual learners (poetry revision guides).

Anna teaches EAL learners in secondary schools, teaches ESOL to adult learners, is a teacher examiner for GCSE Polish and French, and teaches pupils in Alternative Provision at Fair Futures.

Lynne has been working as an EAL specialist for over twenty years with the Bury local authority’s Ethnic Minority ad GRT Achievement Service. In 2012, she successfully completed the University of Birmingham 3 year Bilingualism in Education course, achieving a Master’s degree.
She was the Initial Support Team Coordinator for CLAS for over ten years, supporting International New Arrival and Asylum Seeker pupils in both primary and secondary schools.
Lynne has extensive experience of leading professional development and training in schools, workshops and conferences across the region.
Lynne has used her BA(Hons) in art and design to provide opportunities for Asylum Seeker, refugee and INA learners to cross cultural and communication bridges and form connections that transcend differences. She has also completed the ‘Articulate’ course run by the British Association of Art Therapists which has enabled her to provide art-making sessions for AS/INA children designed to lower anxiety, stimulate imagination, support relationship-building and increase confidence. At Fair Futures, Lynne teaches EAL learners in secondary schools and develops and leads art projects which support language and cultural development.

Ann has worked in the field of EAL for 33 years, mainly in primary schools across Bury. Her experience includes Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and  Key Stage 2, teaching both new arrivals and advanced bilingual learners. Ann is passionate about creating resources to support the development of language in English, Punjabi and Urdu. She has developed her knowledge and skills through study on various professional development programmes, culminating in a Foundation Degree.  Her professional activities include interpreting, admissions meetings, parents evenings, writing progress reports, planning and preparing specific lessons to meet the needs of the individual learner. Ann has worked with various council services and projects, including supporting parents with learning through play through the Sure Start Project, working with pre-school children with colleagues at Portage, developing parental involvement in learning through HAZ and adapting the curriculum to reflect the diversity of the community as a Resource Inclusion Adviser with Bury EYDCP. At Fair Futures, Ann's work as a Bilingual Support Worker includes providing educational support to EAL learners, supporting bilingual learners with additional needs in Alternative Provision, interpreting for schools and parents/ carers, and working with children and families at workshops and other events.