Management Information Sheet
Information about EAL funding and the October census
The following guidance explains this funding and how to receive it. It is available for more pupils than many schools realise and the following information is designed to inform the October Census procedure and ensure schools are able to access the correct levels of funding to support their pupils and help to narrow the attainment gap.
How much funding is available for EAL pupils?
£333.33 per new EAL pupil is available for the first 3 years after having arrived in the UK or after having being identified in Yr 1.
How is the funding allocated?
Funding is triggered when a child is registered as EAL in the October Census. This happens when their language code is given as a language other than English. For the first 3 years after an EAL child is allocated with their UPN number, this child is eligible to funding. The funding follows the child.
What information is used to establish that a pupil is EAL
First language code is used for this. Many bi-lingual pupils therefore miss out on funding because schools give English as their first language instead of the language used at home or with a parent/parents or family. Schools can use their discretion when entering this information if it is difficult to ascertain this with pupils' parents.
How do we know if a child is EAL?
Below are official definitions of EAL by the DFE and OFSTED, accompanied by our guidance as to how to interpret them. If you consider a child to be EAL, then you must record their language code on the school censusEAL - The Department of Education definition: A pupil's first language is defined as any language other than English that a child was exposed to during early development and continues to be exposed to in the home or community. If a child was exposed to more than one language (which may include English) during early development, a language other than English should be recorded, irrespective of the child's proficiency in English.
EAL - The Ofsted definition: English as an additional language (EAL) refers to learners whose first language is not English.
These definitions therefore cover the following:
- Pupils arriving from other countries and whose first language is not English
- Pupils who have lived in the UK for a long time and may appear to be fluent, but who also speak another language at home. These pupils are often not entirely fluent in terms of their literacy levels.
- Pupils who have been born in the UK, but for whom the home language is not English (e.g. Bengali children who are born in the UK, but arrive at school with very little English due to having spoken only Bengali at home and within the community)
- Pupils who have a parent who speaks a language other than English and the child communicates with in that language (ie. bi-lingual children)
It is important therefore to recognise that:
- Children who have British citizenship can still be EAL.
- If parents write on their child's admission form that the child speaks English as a first language, when it is clear that one or both of these parents speaks another language, the child is very likely in fact to be EAL, and it will be necessary to check this.
- Accurate and robust data collection during admission is essential.
When is the funding paid?
Funding for a child picked up in the October census is paid to the school in the following April. If a child enters the school after the October census date, then their funding will be allocated the April after the next October census. However, the funding will still continue for 3 years.
Funding is available for children in Year 1 to 11. If a child is entered as EAL in Reception, then the funding will start in the April of Year 1 and continue for 3 years.
Further information, advice and support are available from:
Minorities Achievement and Attainment Services The Professional Development Centre 144 Woodside Road Norwich NR7 9QL Tel: 01603 307766