Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve English language proficiency amongst those with English as a second language.

Schools are allocated funding through the English as an additional language factor in the national funding formula which they can draw on to support pupils. This directs funding to schools (worth £590 per eligible primary pupil and £1,585 per eligible secondary pupil) based on the number of pupils on roll who are classed as having a first language other than English and who have started in the state-funded education system in England in the last three years. Schools are responsible for ensuring that all pupils can access the full curriculum and have flexibility in how they spend their overall budgets to put appropriate support provision in place. No recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of this approach for pupils with a first language other than English. However, the government will keep the matter under review.

In addition, the government supports adults aged 19 and over in England who are non-native speakers to access English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the adult skills fund (ASF). Currently, approximately 60% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the needs of their communities.

In non-devolved skills areas, individuals aged 19 and over, including refugees, those granted humanitarian protection and asylum seekers, can be fully funded or co-funded to study ESOL depending on their employment status and salary, and provided they meet the residency criteria set out in the ASF Funding and Performance Management Rules.