Schools aid urged over migrants

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said rural primary schools in particular needed more expert staff and specialist books for pupils who speak no English.

He stressed that the union's members welcomed the children of immigrants into their classrooms and would continue to teach pupils of all backgrounds. But he said teachers needed better resources to help them do their jobs.

Mr Sinnott's call followed warnings from heads that some schools were unable to handle the sudden rise in the numbers of children from immigrant families.

The NUT and the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) have been called to give evidence to a House of Lords committee inquiry into the impact of immigration.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Sinnott said: "We do have schools where we have had significant, large numbers of youngsters appearing very quickly.

"We have had schools in London where on a Friday afternoon the head has arrived with seven or eight youngsters and taken them to a GCSE English class and none of the youngsters can speak English."

He continued: "Teachers want support, both in terms of knowledge and immediate support in terms of teaching materials."

Schools need specialist staff who are experts in teaching children whose first language is not English along with books and other materials for non-English speaking pupils.

Mr Sinnott welcomed Government funding reforms which he said would make it easier for schools to receive the extra cash they need when they need it. But he warned that the resources were unlikely to be enough.