Schools Forum Meeting of Wednesday 6 February 2008 Agenda Item 3(d)

Support for Pupils Learning English as an Additional Language

Request for additional funding from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) to supplement the amount devolved to schools from the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) and additional LA funding to support pupils learning English as an additional language (EAL).

1.0 EMAS has been devolving EMAG Standards Fund together with Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding to pay for additional support for pupils in the early stages of English language acquisition at the rate of £8.00 per hour. Primary pupils receive funding for 2 hours support per week and secondary pupils receive funding for 3 hours support per week.

2.0 During the academic year 2007/2008, the number of pupils in the early stages of English language acquisition in Essex schools went up from 900 to 1,300. Even with a significant increase in the amount of EMAG devolved to schools (from £260,736 to £307,528), for the Spring term 2008 (this term) EMAS was forced to take the highly regrettable decision to reduce significantly the amount of funding allocated to schools. Pupils in both Primary and Secondary phases are currently receiving funding for just 1 hour per week.

3.0 For the academic year 2008/2009, a further rise in the number of pupils in the early stages of English language acquisition is predicted, from 1,300 to 1,500. In 2008-09 the EMAG Standards Fund that will be devolved to schools will increase significantly, from £307,528 to £472,000. This will be supplemented by a further £328,000 from the DSG, making a total of £800,000.

4.0 £800,000 divided among 1,500 pupils works out at £533 per pupil. Dividing £533 by 38 (the number of weeks for which additional support will be funded) gives £14 per week, which when divided by £8 an hour of Teaching Assistant support, equates to 1.75 hours of additional support per week. If we increased the rate to £9 per hour, this would work out at only 1.5 hours of additional support per week devolved to schools.

5.0 Despite the large increase in the amount of devolved EMAG Standards Fund, the LA is facing the prospect of a significant reduction in the amount of funding that will be made available for each pupil due to the rising numbers of students requiring support. One option to avoid this reduction in funds available for individual schools would be to further supplement the funding from the DSG. For present funding levels to be maintained (at £8 per hour), a further 0.75 hours per pupil per week would be needed. This would mean that £342,000 would need to come from the DSG. If the rate were to be increased to £9 per hour, £513,000 would be needed.

6.0 As a point of comparison, the Schools Forum in Suffolk has decided to use £900,000 from the DSG to supplement the amount devolved to schools from EMAG (£227,444) to support 1,000 EAL pupils. This means that in 2008/2009, Suffolk will devolve £1,127,444 to schools pay for support for 1,000 EAL pupils. This works out at over £1,000 per pupil.

The options

7.0 Please see below four options for consideration by the Schools Forum:

7.1 Without additional funding from the DSG, levels of additional support for pupils in the early stages of English language acquisition will be cut from 2.5 hours per week (on average) to either 1.75 hours per week (£8 per hour) or 1.5 hours per week (£9 per hour).

7.2  In order to maintain current levels of support in Essex at current rates (£8 per hour), £342,000 would be needed from the DSG. This works out at £761 per pupil.

7.3  In order to maintain current levels of support in Essex at an increased rate (£9 per hour), £513,000 would be needed from the DSG. This works out at £875 per pupil.

7.4  In order to bring levels of support in Essex into line with those in Suffolk (£1,000 per pupil), £700,000 would be needed from the Essex Schools Budget or DSG (compared with £900,000 in Suffolk). With this amount of additional funding, levels of additional support for pupils in Essex would be increased from 2.5 hours per week to 3.3 hours per week (£8 per hour) or 2.9 hours per week (£9 per hour).

Allocated funding

2007-2008 2 hrs p.w. Primary 1 LA funded, 1 EMAG funded

3 hrs p.w. Secondary 1 LA funded, 2 EMAG funded

(reduced to 1 hr p.w. for Spring term 2007, Primary and Secondary)

£8.00 per hour (was £7.00 per hour in 2005-2006)

195 days p.a. = 27 weeks

Devolved to schools / Retained centrally
2005-06
Total EMAG: 358,586 / 208,586 / 150,000
2006-07
Total EMAG: 448,556 / 260,736
(25% increase) / 187,820
2007-08
Total EMAG: 495,348 / 307,528
(18% increase) / 187,820
2008-2009
Total EMAG: 659,818 / 471,998
(53% increase) / 187,820
2009-2010 indicative
Total EMAG: 773,117
2010-2011 indicative
Total EMAG: 828,308
No of BME pupils in Essex schools / % of BME pupils in Essex schools / No of EAL pupils / % of BME pupils with EAL / No of pupils in early stages of English language acquisition / % of EAL pupils in early stages of English language acquisition
Autumn 2005 / 12,300 / 6% / 4,000 / 32% / 800 / 20%
Autumn 2006 / 14,000
(6% increase) / 7% / 5,000
(25% increase) / 36% / 900
(12.5% increase – 25% increase in EMAG – rate went up from £7 per hour to £8 per hour) / 18%
Autumn 2007 / 15,600
(11% increase) / 8% / 6,800
(36% increase) / 44% / 1,300
(44% increase – 18% increase in EMAG) / 19%
Autumn 2008
projected / 18,000
(15% increase) / 9% / 7,900
(16% increase) / 44% / 1,500
(15% increase – 53% increase in EMAG) / 19%

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