A council study found low attainment levels among pupils from Portugal are masked within official statistics, as these fail to distinguish between European pupils.
Reasons for the low attainment levels include the high number of Portuguese migrant workers with little formal education.
The council says the government needs to collect separate statistics on Portuguese pupils and prioritise them for support.
The research focused on work by schools in Lambeth, which has the country's largest Portuguese population. The study found targeted support can improve attainment. Work included collecting separate pupil data and organising celebrations of Portuguese culture.
The 2001 census said the UK has a Portuguese population of 36,000. However, the council estimates it could be 300,000.
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