Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support children who are learning English as a second language.

​Every child, regardless of their background or family circumstances, deserves the opportunity to progress and succeed in school and beyond. Schools are responsible for ensuring that each of their pupils is engaged, challenged and has opportunity to achieve their full academic potential. The government’s ongoing education reforms have given headteachers considerable flexibility over their use of the funding allocated to their schools, as they are best placed to support and address the specific needs of their pupils – including those who are classed as having English as an additional language (EAL).

​We recognise that having a large intake of EAL pupils can present challenges for a school. Through the national funding formula (NFF) for schools, introduced in April 2018, state-funded schools attract funding for pupils with EAL who have been in the school system in England for up to 3 years. This funding equates to an additional £515 per primary school pupil and an additional £1,385 per secondary school pupil by the time the formula is fully implemented. Schools in which more than 10% of pupils joined mid-way through the school year also attract funding through the mobility factor in the NFF if their local authority uses this factor in their local formula. Furthermore, schools are also able to use their pupil premium funding to support pupils with EAL who are classed as disadvantaged, through having been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years, or through being looked after or previously in local authority care.