Find out whereabouts in the UK has the highest number of EAL students, and what that means for those schools.

Within the UK there are over five nationalities mentioned in the 2021 census, but in reality, there are many more across the UK. We’re a diverse country full of people with different backgrounds, nationalities, cultures and languages.

For the UK, this rich combination of different people is incredible, and valuable. However, it does mean that for children in education who speak an additional language, there has to be awareness and support so that they can thrive in their learning.

There is no doubt that speaking multiple languages is a real gift, and one that can help EAL children to do very well in their careers. They can go into various highly-paid positions and even specialise in language-based vocations such as foreign language translation, voiceovers and subtitling. It has to start with the right support at school, though, particularly in primary school, because it’s when the foundations of learning are being put in place.

Learning the foundations of core subjects, gaining social skills and learning how to actively take part in the learning process should be just part of primary school learning in the UK. For an EAL child, though, this isn’t always the case and a lot still needs to be done to ensure that they have equal opportunities to access their primary school education.

Nearly 20% Of Primary School Pupils Speak English As An Additional Language In The UK

Did you know that nearly 20% of all UK pupils speak English as an additional language? That is over a million children of primary school age and older who are EAL pupils speaking a variety of different languages at home.

Interestingly, some regions have higher concentrations of EAL pupils than others. As it stands, it is London that has the highest number of primary school pupils and above who speak an additional language at a massive 44.2%. This is followed by:

• West Midlands – 21.1%
• Yorkshire and Humber – 16.3%
• East Midlands – 15.4%
• North West – 15.3%
• East Of England – 14.6%
• South East – 14%
• South West – 8.1%
• North East – 7.3%

All schools with EAL pupils should be working to support those children, but schools where primary school pupils makeup nearly 50% of the population, as with London, these efforts need to be even more impactful. Schools can take a wide range of actions to support their EAL pupils including:

• Providing translated website versions in different languages, including audio translations
• Ensuring that the families of children are supported to help their child with their schoolwork and education
• Providing teacher training so they know how to support their EAL pupils (lots of resources here)
• Hire multilingual teachers and teaching assistants
• Consider foreign language voiceovers and subtitles for visual learning resources you provide

It’s Time To Enhance Your Primary School EAL Educational Accessibility

Despite some effort from most UK primary schools, the fact is that as it stands, most educational facilities could do more to support their EAL pupils. Utilising free resources, helping teachers learn how to best support EAL students and investing in professional language services are just some of the steps you can take. With enhanced measures, your EAL pupils can have a great chance at making the most of their education and hopefully achieving fantastic grades too.