Every Language, Every Voice: Celebrating our Young Interpreters

At Excelsior Academy, communication knows no boundaries, thanks to our incredible team of Young Interpreters who have spent the last year making a difference in the lives of their peers.

A nationally recognised initiative, the Young Interpreter Award supports students who speak English as an additional language (EAL), helping them feel welcome, understood and valued. Since launching the programme at Excelsior Academy, 30 students have been successfully trained, each one bringing empathy, leadership and creativity to the role.

The scheme empowers our student volunteers to become buddies and guides for EAL pupils, helping them settle in with confidence. It also gives Young Interpreters the chance to grow personally and academically by developing skills in communication, cultural awareness and leadership.

Zoha, one of four Young Interpreters recently interviewed who speaks Urdu and Arabic, explains -

"Being a Young Interpreter is a great way to meet new people and build confidence. It also helps with your future because it shows leadership and communication skills, things that really stand out on your record for College and University."

Additionally, Naheed, who speaks Farsi and Mandarin, added -

"I wanted to be part of this to support students who don't speak English as their first language. It helps them feel comfortable at school and it's also helped me think about careers like interpreting or working with people from different backgrounds."

Other languages spoken by some of our Young Interpreters include Italian, Igbo and Punjabi.

To celebrate the incredible  diversity across our Academy, a world map now takes pride of place in the main atrium, displaying the range of languages spoken and how to say "hello" in each one. It's more than just a display, it's a message of pride, belonging and unity.

"The idea for the map came directly from our students, who were so proud to share the languages spoken in our Academy. It's a real privilege to be part of a school community where over 50 languages are celebrated and where students are so passionate about building an inclusive environment for everyone."

- Paula Hegarty, Executive Principal at Excelsior Academy.

The project also demonstrates the Laidlaw Schools Trust values in action, such as being Good to others and the world around us and being Determined to overcome challenges and support one another.

Congratulations to our 30 Young Interpreters for leading by example and helping to make Excelsior Academy a place where every voice is heard.