Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of non-native English speaking pupils in the classroom; and if he will make a statement. [120215]

Mr Laws, Minister of State: The Government's priority for children learning English as an Additional Language (EAL) is to promote rapid language acquisition and include them in mainstream education as quickly as possible. Internal analysis undertaken in 2009 found that the proportion of EAL pupils in a school does not appear to have an effect on the performance of non-EAL pupils when prior attainment and contextual factors, such as deprivation and ethnicity, are taken into account. This analysis was based on the National Pupil Database and focused on outcomes at the end of key stage 4. A copy of the analysis has been placed in the House Libraries

Local authorities have a legal duty to ensure that education is available for all children of compulsory school age that is appropriate to their age, ability, aptitudes and any special educational needs they may have. This duty applies irrespective of a child's immigration status, country of origin or rights of residence in a particular area.

| Hansard