THE proportion of children in Worcestershire’s schools who do not have English as a first language is rising.

Figures released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) show that four per cent (1,260) of the county’s primary schoolchildren and 3.2 per cent (1,203) of secondary pupils now speak a language other than English at home.

In January 2007 the total number of children at Worcestershire schools whose first language was not English was 2,157. By January 2008, that figure had risen to 2,463, and is expected to continue to rise, reflecting the national trend.

There are more than 30 first languages spoken by pupils at county schools.

Coun Liz Eyre, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Increasingly we see pupils whose first language is not English in our schools.

“The authority promotes good practical guidance from the national strategies to support teachers and schools in including new arrivals in the classroom.”

The county council has increased its budget for schools supporting EAL (English as an additional language) pupils from £230,000 in 2007/08 to £860,000 in 2008/09.

Schools receive the additional funding if they have more than five EAL pupils, and countywide there are 98 schools currently accessing the cash, 24 of which are in Worcester. Secondary and middle schools have only been able to access the additional funding since April this year.

Mrs Eyre said: “I am sure all heads will say pupils with additional languages are a strain but they bring richness and diversity to the school as well.”

Chris Golbourn, the council’s social inclusions manager, said: “We want to narrow the achievement gap of EAL pupils and give them a better opportunity in our schools.”

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said schools and teachers tended to cope well with pupils who had English as a second language, and many schools had seen the wider benefits of high numbers of immigrant children.

Lynn Collins, NUT Midlands regional secretary, covering Worcestershire, said: “Schools need to make sure that they have the appropriate staffing levels to cope with the rising numbers of children who don’t speak English as a first language. This means more support staff and smaller class sizes.

“On the whole, if teachers are well-trained to deal with this situation, then it can in fact be a real benefit to the school to have a variety of different cultures in the classroom.”

County’s Class Sizes Have Fallen Slightly

CLASS sizes in Worcestershire schools have fallen slightly over the past year.

The county has some of the smallest classes in England, according to the Department of Children, Schools and Families.

In January 2007 the average county primary school class had 25.3 pupils, while secondaries averaged 21.3 pupils. In January 2008 primary class sizes fell marginally to 25.2 and secondaries to 21.2.

The figures show the county is below the West Midlands average for primary school class sizes, but above average for secondaries.

Coun Liz Eyre, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “Small class sizes have advantages and disadvantages. Parents like smaller classes but they can put a strain on resources for a school and for a taxpayer imply additional resources.

“Many smaller classes are found in more rural schools that are so important in our communities. Increasingly, falling rolls, are impacting class sizes.”

Education minister Jim Knight recently said large classes of more than 70 pupils were “perfectly acceptable” if teachers were helped by several classroom aides.