Promoting equality of opportunity for minority ethnic pupils

The Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) aims to provide equality of opportunity for all minority ethnic pupils, including refugee and asylum seeker pupils. In particular to meet the needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL) and to raise standards of achievement for those minority ethnic pupils who are at risk of underachieving.

The service consists of a team of teachers, teaching assistants and bilingual teaching assistants who work in primary and secondary schools supporting ethnic minority pupils.

What the service does:

• Identifies and assesses the needs of pupils acquiring English as and additional language.
• Settles in new arrivals with advice on appropriate strategies and materials.
• Undertakes partnership teaching in collaboration with subject and class teachers - to demonstrate teaching and learning styles supportive to EAL pupils.
• Develops learning resources - including dual language curriculum support materials and materials suitable for different ability levels.
• Provides in-service training - school/centre based.
• Supports pastoral systems with information, advice and resources on religious, cultural and linguistic aspects of EAL pupils.
• Supports schools with their race equality policies.
• Supports school, home and community links involving bilingual interpreters.
• Works with community groups and representatives of the area's ethnic minorities.
• Disseminates information about events, issues and developments in the field of EAL work.
• Works closely with statutory and voluntary services.
• Works with Local Education Authority advisors and consultants on the EAL element in Key Stage National Strategies.