From 1999 until 2011, local authorities had additional funding for EAL learners through the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) Grant. This grant was often used to finance a central local authority (LA) team with a particular responsibility for EAL and ethnic minority issues. However the bulk of the grant (85%) was required to be devolved to schools’ budgets to meet the needs within their schools. In April 2011, the EMA Grant was merged into the Direct Schools Grant and schools were given greater discretion over its use.
LA teams may be able to offer advice and guidance or provide specialist support for initial teacher education programmes. For example, they are often involved in working with newly qualified teachers recruited to schools in their local authorities. The local authority team may also run professional development programmes, manage specific projects and produce guidance documents and materials. Links to service information and contacts for more than 50 LA language services are listed below. However the situation is in flux as many LA teams have reduced in size or role.
In many areas with relatively few EAL and bilingual learners and few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, LA teams of EAL specialists often provide peripatetic support for schools and particularly for learners who are new to English.
Since 2011 many Local Authority teams have ceased to exist, as funding has been cut, and the many websites that used to provide valuable resources for teachers no longer exist either. If there are no links the webpage no longer exists. The links on this site are updated as regularly as possible, but please let us know of any changes to services listed below.
Last updated 27th March 2015
A-Z EAL and EMA services
Aberdeen City Council - English as an Additional Language Service works within the Learning & Leisure Service of Aberdeen City Council
Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Bath and NE Somerset - provide free training for EAL leaders and teachers through Kick Start, a social enterprise
Bexley Council - The English Language Support Service is jointly funded by a grant (Ethnic Minority achievement Grant/EMAG) and by Bexley Council.
Birmingham City Council
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council - SEMA (support for ethnic minority achivement) works with schools to support the achievement of ethnic minority children.
Blackpool Council - The Diversity Learning Team supports standards and achievement for all children from minority ethnic groups
Bolton - The Bolton Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (BEMAS) has 20+ members of staff
Bournemouth Council
Bracknell Forest Borough Council - The EAL and Diversity Team works in partnership with schools to raise the attainment of pupils with English as an additional language.
Brent Council- The Language and Cultural Support Service supports children in Brent nursery and primary schools who do not have English as their first language.
Brighton and Hove - EMAS is a team of specialist teachers, bilingual classroom assistants, Home/School liaison officers and Nursery Liaison workers who support pupils who have EAL in schools across Brighton and Hove. See also http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=883330
Bristol City Council - Working to raise the achievement of ethnic minority pupils.
Bromley London Borough Council
Buckinghamshire County Council - METAS consists of consultants who guide and advise schools on raising the achievement of minority ethnic, refugee and asylum seeking pupils and a peripatetic team of Traveller teachers and liaison workers who offer schools advice and guidance on access, attendance, continuity and achievement of Traveller pupils. They work in partnership with Oxfordshire
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council - The Curriculum and Language Access Service (CLAS) is a local authority Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) service which works with schools to develop effective provision for minority ethnic and English as an additional language (EAL) learners..
Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire Race Equality and Diversity Service (CREDS) is dedicated to making sure that Black, Minority Ethnic and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children get the best out of their education
Calderdale Council - Calderdale currently receives funding from the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant. The focus of this funding is to support groups of pupils identified nationally as underachieving.
Cheshire East Traveller Education and Minorities Support
Cheshire West and Chester Ethnic Minority Achievement Service
Cumbria County Council - The Specialist Advisory Teaching Service (SATS) aims to provide skilled specialist staff to support schools and settings to promote inclusion and raise the achievements of children and young people with Additional Educational Needs (AEN) relating to ethnic minority achievement
Darlington Borough Council - Darlington schools celebrate and support a diverse pupil community. We offer a responsive reflective support sevice to ensure that all children have an opportunity to enjoy success.
Devon Learning and Development Partnership- Devon Ethnic Minority Achievement team is part of Devon Learning and Development Partnership. A team of advisory teachers and bilingual support workers provides the first point of contact for schools with ethnic minority pupils, including new arrivals. We offer a wide knowledge and understanding of bilingualism and the issues facing Black and Minority Ethnic families.
Derbyshire The Access Service of Derby City Council is the lead authority for EAL support in Derbyshire Local Authority.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council- Doncaster has a large and diverse multicultural community, with over 94 different languages spoken. Doncaster EMTAS service staff work in collaboration with mainstream colleagues in order to provide EAL support to targeted pupils
Dorset County Council- The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) works to ensure equal opportunities in education for all ethnic minority and travelling groups within the authority.
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council - The Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) works in partnership with schools and communities to provide support for children with English as an additional language, helping to raise the achievement of ethnic minority pupils including new arrivals.
Durham County Council - The EMTAS service supports the induction of minority ethnic and Traveller pupils, including pupils with English as an Additional Language - EAL.
Edinburgh EAL Service - The City of Edinburgh English as an Additional Language (EAL) Service is part of the Children and Families Department
Enfield Borough Council
Essex Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) works across the county
Gateshead Council - Gateshead EMTAS works in partnership with schools, internal and external agencies, minority communities and parents
Glasgow EAL Service - Provides support to children and young people with EAL who attend educational establishments in Glasgow
Gloucestershire County Council - Race Equality and Diversity Service can be accessed via the irespect website
Greenwich Council
Hammersmith and Fulham - provides advice, guidance and consultant support to help schools and early years centres to raise the attainment of ethnic minority and bilingual pupils
Hampshire County Council - Service aims to support schools and families across Hampshire in raising ethnic minority achievement, through bilingual assistance, projects, training and advisory support.
Haringey Borough Council.
Hertfordshire County Council- Mecs team is engaged in working with schools, parents and the community to raise educational achievement among black and minority ethnic (BME) pupils and to support race equality.
Hounslow LA no longer provides a service. HLS Training and Consultancy provides training and consultancy
Islington Borough Council - Islington's EMAS works in partnership with schools and local authorities to raise the attainment of minority ethnic pupils, through consultancy, training, support and guidance.
Kent County Council - KCC has a service focused on improving access and achievement of minority ethnic children and young people
Kensington and Chelsea - EAL service now provided by Hammersmith and Fulham
Knowsley - EAL Support is part of the Inclusion Standards & Effectiveness Services (ISES)
Lancashire -The EMA Support Service works with new arrivals
Lambeth Borough Council
Leicester City Council - provides minority Ethnic Achievement & EAL Consultants, school-focussed consultancy and Advice, training materials and information
Leicestershire Council
Lincolnshire County Council - a team of advisory teachers, bilingual consultants and teaching assistants who work in partnership with schools and minority communities
Liverpool City Council .
Luton Borough Council - Luton Ethnic Minority Achievement Team works to support schools in raising standards of Ethnic Minority attainment across all age phases.
Manchester - a team of specialist teachers and teaching assistants for Ethnic Minority Achievement Services are provided by One Stop Education
Medway Council
Milton Keynes Council - EMASS - the Ethnic Minority Achievement and Support Service - helps to support schools.
Newcastle City Council - The role of EMTRAS is to work with schools, teachers and other agencies to secure the highest possible standards of achievement for pupils whose home language may not be English and who need special support to settle and learn in schools.
Newham London Borough Council
Norfolk School Childrens Services - Norfolk Ethnic Minority & Traveller Achievement Service and English Language Support Service
Northamptonshire County Council
North Lincolnshire Council - The North Lincolnshire Diversity Service provides quality support to raise the achievement of all minority ethnic groups of pupils.
North Somerset Council - Work to help raise the achievement levels of black and other minority ethnic pupils across North Somerset.
North Tyneside Council - North Tyneside EMTA Service aims to enhance the quality of educational opportunity and support the educational achievement of ethnic minority and Traveller pupils by offering a range of services to North Tyneside schools.
Nottingham City Council - EMA service site featuring a series of guidance and support
Oxfordshire County Council - Equality and Diversity Services works with METAS in Buckinghamshire to support EAL and bilingual learners
Oldham
Perth and Kinross- The English as an Additional Language Service (EAL) is a peripatetic service working across nursery, primary and secondary schools.
Portsmouth - Bilingual learning assistants, bilingual support officers and advisers working within the Learning and Achievement Team. to help schools meet the needs of bilingual learners and ethnic minority pupils at risk of under-achievement. Many useful resources have been relocated from the Portsmouth BLSS site to Portsmouth's VLE
Reading Borough Council- Equality Services provides a specialist service for equality, achievement and languages providing schools and other educators with support to ensure that all young people achieve well.
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council - The Multicultural service is a small team which supports children in schools with English as an second language.
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough
Rochdale Rochdale EMAS support schools throughout Rochdale in meeting the needs of Minority Ethnic and bilingual pupils
Salford City Council - Salford City Council provides a support service called Salford Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS).
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
Sefton Council - The Equality and Diversity team for schools is part of the Complementary Education Service
Sheffield City Council - The Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS) aims to raise the achievement of and equality of outcome for minority ethnic and traveller children and young people in Sheffield schools and communities.
Shropshire County Council - The Council supports children who do not have English as their first language, operating in nursery and primary schools through the Multicultural Development Service.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council- Solihull EAL Service works with schools and families to help children using EAL. It helps international new arrivals to integrate into school and to access the curriculum
Somerset County Council - The Ethnic Minority Achievement Team consists of support and advisory teachers who help raise the attainment of children from Minority Ethnic groups.
South Gloucestershire Council- The Ethnic Minority Achievement Service is a specialist team of teachers who work in partnership with schools, parents and communities to address the educational needs of black and bilingual pupils and to raise their attainment.
Southwark London Borough Council - Each school has their own system for supporting children who do not have English as their first language.
Staffordshire The Staffordshire Minority Ethnic Achievement Service (MEAS) aims to help schools: support the inclusion of minority ethnic pupils; promote diversity
and prevent racism
St Helens Council
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council - The work of the Ethnic Diversity Service centres around promoting race equality and fostering a culture of mutual respect for people from different racial groups
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council- Stockton Authority run termly English as an Additional Language (EAL)/ Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMA) Networks
Suffolk County Council - The Minority Ethnic and Traveller Achievement Team (METAT) provides training and advice to Suffolk schools01473 583529
Surrey County Council- REMA Ethnic and Language Minority Achievement team in Children's Service works in partnership with schools, SCC colleagues and other agencies to improve services to minority ethnic communities, promote inclusive practices and raise the achievement of minority ethnic children and young people, including those who have a first language other than English.
Swindon - EMASS provides EAL and Minority Ethnic support in Swindon. Working in partnership with senior leadership teams, Early Years practitioners, teachers, and support staff in Swindon, EMASS aims to improve opportunities and outcomes for Minority Ethnic and EAL pupils
Tameside Council - The Equality, Multicultural and Access Team (EMAT) supports children who do not have English as their first language
Torbay - EMA Schools Support and Challenge, Oldway Mansion,Torquay Town Hall, Castle Circus, Torquay, TQ1 3DR, 01803 208910
Tower Hamlets London Borough Council
Trafford - Trafford Emas provides additional support for pupils from ethnic minority communities.
Wakefield Council
Warrington Council - The school inclusion team provide support to children and young people whose first language is not english
Warwickshire County Council
Wigan Council- The English as an Additional Language (EAL) Team provides education support for pupils whose first language is not English. This includes Asylum Seeker children, other children newly arrived in the country and those whose home language is not English.
Wiltshire County Council - The Wiltshire Ethnic Minority Achievement Service is a team within the Schools branch
Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Borough Council - The Ethnic Minority Achievement Service provides a range of specialist staff to support and help raise the achievement levels of ethnic minority pupils.
Wirral Council - MEAS staff work in Primary and Secondary schools throughout the borough. The aim of the Service is to remove language barriers, provide access to the curriculum, raise self-esteem and encourage social integration.
Wolverhampton City Council
Wokingham - information, guidance and resources to help support pupils from Minority Ethnic groups, including Traveller pupils and pupils who are learning English as an additional language
York City Council- The Traveller Education, language and cultural support services provide specialist advice and teaching for minority ethnic pupils with language or cultural needs that may create barriers to access, attendance and achievement.
A number of independent companies also provide training and teaching support