How Can We Better Support the Growing Number of EAL Children? Our Latest Evidence on This is Out Now

New evidence about the growing number of EAL children in English schools – and why measuring Proficiency in English is essential for schools to understand their attainment trajectory and unlock their potential – is out now. Explore the report, media coverage, our data story, and an interview with University of Oxford’s Professor Steve Strand OBE, one of the authors.

The number of pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL) has more than tripled since 1997. Over one in five schoolchildren use EAL and multilingual classrooms are now the norm. New evidence in an interim report about EAL learners – and why measuring proficiency in English is essential for schools to understand their attainment trajectory and unlock their potential – is out now.

We have been carrying out research on educational attainment of EAL children for the past 10 years and one of our key findings over time is that, for this group, it is Proficiency in English that has the strongest relationship with educational attainment, explaining four to six times as much variation as gender, free school meal status and ethnicity combined.

Proficiency in English explains 4-6 times as much variation in attainment as ethnicity, gender & free school meals combined

Key findings

Implications for policy

1. The policy vacuum on EAL needs to be addressed as a priority

Support for EAL pupils has been overlooked in the last fifteen years and has suffered from cuts to local authority support and a loss of specialist expertise.

EAL status, which is currently collected, is not an indicator of proficiency in English, hence a focus on average achievement of EAL children doesn't allow us to understand the nuances of language learning need within this diverse group.

Moreover, in 2011, the ring-fenced Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant funding was removed and the “EAL factor” in the National Funding Formula, which replaced it, has increased at half the rate of funding for other pupils. As a result, the majority of dedicated expertise and support for EAL pupils has disappeared from the system.

If the Government’s promise of opportunity for all is to hold true, it is vital that policy addresses this group.

2. Statutory proficiency scales need to be reintroduced in England

EAL pupils are present in a greater number of schools and LAs and we are welcoming more new refugee arrivals. Schools need to understand and meet the language support needs of this group. We know from this research, that averages for pupils using EAL are misleading because they do not analyse the nuances of need and attainment within this diverse group.

Support in the early years is key, but we also know from research that pupils recorded as EAL who arrive in England at later stages of education (Y3-Y11) also require considerable support if they have limited proficiency in English.

Assessing English proficiency is key to delivering effective, tailored classroom support. Statutory assessment should be (re)introduced in England – as is already the case in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

3. EAL resources need to be maintained in the schools funding formula

EAL is one of the additional needs factors in the national funding formula for schools, recognising the support needed by this group. Yet this factor has not increased at the same rate as support for other pupils, nor is it ring-fenced. It is also only funded for three years, whereas evidence shows that it takes over six years to achieve full academic proficiency in English. It is vital that the formula appropriately recognises the support needs of EAL pupils.

Media enquiries

Maria Gili, Head of Communications | maria.gili@bell-foundation.org.uk | 07713 401 468