The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) funds learning support for children with English as a second language through the Ethnic Minorities Achievement Grant. Following recommendations in the government strategy, Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils, the DCSF developed guidelines on improving outcomes for children with English as a second language.
Teachers now have access to online resources and the DCSF provides leaflets for parents explaining the school system. In 2007, 447,480 primary school pupils and 342,240 secondary school pupils had English as a second language.
SCOTLAND
Local education authorities in Scotland have a legal duty to support all children and young people with additional learning needs, which includes supplying English as a second language lessons.
Local authorities do not receive ring-fenced funding for educational support, because it is up to individual councils to decide how funding is allocated. However, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Qualification Authority say they closely monitor the attainment levels of pupils with English as a second language to ensure they get the provision they need.
In 2007, 15,411 pupils were identified as having English as a second language.
WALES
Services for Welsh pupils with English as an additional language are funded through The Welsh Assembly Government's Minority Ethnic Achievement Grant.
This year more than £9m will be shared between 22 local education authorities, dedicated to improving educational outcomes for all ethnic minorities. Refugees, asylum seekers and the children of migrant workers are most likely to receive English as a second language support in Wales.
In schools specialist teachers are appointed to work with children who require language support. They work with teaching assistants who are fluent in the learners' home language.
NORTHERN IRELAND
In 2007, the Department of Education committed to teaching all pupils with English as a second language the skills to access the curriculum.
To fulfil this commitment the department is developing a newcomer pupil policy, due to be published later this year, that will provide guidance for schools on services including language lessons.
The regional Inclusion and Diversity Service, which was set up by the department and the province's education and library boards in 2007, also provides support to newcomer pupils including translation and interpretation services. In 2007, there were 5,665 Northern Irish pupils with English as a second language.
