Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps have been taken to ensure that staff in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools with high numbers of English as an additional language pupils are being supported in their teaching.

Jim Knight (Minister of State (Schools and 14-19 Learners), Department for Education and Skills; South Dorset, Labour)

The DfES launched a strategy for English as an additional language (EAL) in October 2003 as part of its Aiming High initiative for raising achievement of minority ethnic pupils. Central to this strategy was the professional development of teachers and teaching assistants in primary and secondary schools.

Key initiatives since 2003 include an extensive EAL programme delivered through the primary national strategy involving a package of professional development for mainstream staff. Professional development materials on EAL have been rolled out as part of this initiative and are available to all primary schools.

A secondary national strategy programme for EAL was launched in June 2006 which builds on from this work to promote awareness of best practice in EAL teaching in secondary schools.

Local authorities also receive additional funding from the ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG). EMAG is distributed to local authorities by formula which includes the number of EAL pupils in each LA, with locally determined formulae devolving at least 85 per cent. to schools. The grant is £179 million in 2007-08.

EMAG provides resources for schools to employ specialist EAL support teachers and teaching assistants and for local authorities to maintain a small advisory team. Some local authorities employ a team of specialist EAL teachers whose services are bought in by schools.

The DfES will launch a New Arrivals Excellence Programme in July 2007. This aims to build capacity in local authorities and schools in England to deliver good quality provision and point towards the best training opportunities.

The Department has published two documents designed to support school assessment of EAL pupils and funded accredited specialist training in EAL for teachers and teaching assistants between 2004 and 2006. These courses have continued despite no longer being funded by the Department.