This page is about schools in England. It does not cover Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
What does EAL mean officially?
English as an additional language (EAL) describes a pupil whose first language is other than English. The DfE’s school census guide, data items for 2026 to 2027, under ‘Language code (used for funding)’, explains this as exposure to another language during early development, with continuing exposure at home or in the community.
EAL is not a measure of English proficiency. The DfE’s latest pupil statistics, ‘First language’, also say that it is not a good proxy for recent immigration. A first-language record therefore cannot tell leaders how much English a pupil understands or what teaching support they need.
How is first language recorded?
For schools completing the school census, the guide’s ‘Language code (used for funding)’ section requires language data for all pupils. Information about a specific language must come from the parent, guardian or pupil; schools must not assign a specific language themselves.
- The DfE says schools should use ENB (not known but believed to be English) or OTB (not known but believed to be other than English) only where all three conditions apply: the pupil’s first language is not known with absolute certainty, parents have not responded to enquiries, and the school can judge with a high degree of confidence whether the pupil’s language is English or not.
- Schools should record REF (refused) when a parent, guardian or pupil declines to provide a first language.
- For a first language other than English, schools may use specific extended language codes or continue using the codes in their software.
Keep the census record distinct from the assessment teachers use to plan learning. The inspection expectations below concern pupils’ actual proficiency and access to teaching.
Practical leadership checks
- Check the first-language record. Confirm that information comes from families or pupils, and that ENB, OTB and REF are used under the census conditions.
- Review proficiency separately. Ask how teachers assess English and use that assessment in lessons. Do not use the census category as an assessment of ability (toolkit, page 21).
- Review curriculum access. Look at classroom talk, vocabulary, reading and subject teaching, while retaining high expectations (toolkit, page 21; framework, paragraphs 4.5–4.6).
- Check funding eligibility. Distinguish the full EAL population from pupils meeting the national formula’s entry-period condition (Annex A, paragraphs 19–20).
- Review equal treatment. Check school practices against the race protections and consider the public sector equality duty in decisions (DfE equality advice, paragraphs 3.7–3.8 and 5.1).
For separate questions about special educational needs and provision, use the SEND guide. Our earlier articles explore what EAL data tells leaders and the systems behind EAL provision.
EAL funding: the national funding formula
The national funding formula policy for 2026 to 2027, Annex A, paragraphs 19–20, limits the EAL factor to pupils whose first language is not English and who are recorded as having entered state education in England during the last three years.
The schools national funding formula calculates local-authority funding for 5- to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream schools (Annex A, paragraph 1). Its EAL rates per eligible pupil are:
- £610 for primary pupils.
- £1,630 for secondary pupils.
These are national formula values, not a personal budget for every pupil recorded as EAL. Annex A, paragraph 6, explains that additional-needs factors estimate a school’s overall funding needs and do not mean that all the funding must be dedicated to the individual pupil who attracts it. Paragraph 8 explains the area cost adjustment. The policy’s ‘Rules governing local authority formulae’, paragraph 21, explains how local formulae determine schools’ actual allocations.
Equality duties and EAL
EAL is not itself a protected characteristic under section 4 of the Equality Act 2010. Race is protected and includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins (section 9(1)).
Schools must not discriminate against pupils in admissions, education, access to benefits, facilities or services, exclusion or other detriment (section 85(1)–(2)). The DfE’s The Equality Act 2010 and schools, May 2014 advice, paragraphs 3.7–3.8, explains race protection and the need to check practices for unfair, less favourable treatment.
Maintained schools and academies are covered by the public sector equality duty: they must have due regard to eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations (section 149(1); DfE paragraph 5.1). Use the equality duty guide for the wider duties and publication requirements.
What does Ofsted look for?
Ofsted’s state-funded school inspection toolkit, updated June 2026, applies to inspections from 7 September 2026. In ‘Curriculum and teaching’, page 21, inspectors consider how schools support pupils at the early stages of learning English as an additional language.
They look at whether staff maintain high expectations, assess English proficiency accurately and regularly, and give pupils opportunities to talk with adults and peers. Teaching should build vocabulary, including subject vocabulary, use clear explanations and deliberate repetition, and support pupils to express and develop ideas. Inspectors also consider whether pupils learn to read through systematic synthetic phonics as soon as possible.
This is a focus on teaching and pupils’ learning, not simply the accuracy of the EAL census total.
Official sources and guidance
The DfE’s national curriculum framework, ‘Inclusion’, paragraphs 4.5–4.6, says teachers must take account of pupils whose first language is not English. Monitoring should consider age, time in this country, previous education and ability in other languages. Pupils’ ability to take part in the curriculum may be ahead of their English communication skills; teachers should support access to all subjects. Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the statutory national curriculum (paragraph 2.4).
The census proficiency-in-English collection was removed from the 2018/19 academic year onwards. This is confirmed in the DfE’s 2018 collection report, section 3.1, page 5, published 13 December 2018. Ending that national collection does not remove the toolkit’s expectation that teachers assess English proficiency accurately and regularly.
The DfE also still publishes Developing quality tuition: effective practice in schools — English as an additional language, dated 18 March 2011. It is a practice resource about tuition, not a new statutory EAL duty.
Roles, interviews and planning
Explore the EAL lead role and headteacher role, prepare with the headteacher interview guide, and organise reviews with the School Leader Planner®.
How many pupils are recorded as having EAL in England?
The DfE’s Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2026 was published on 4 June 2026. The statistical release was last updated on 16 October 2026.
Its ‘First language of pupils by school type, 2024/25 and 2025/26’ table records 1,808,419 pupils, or 21.6%, with a first language known or believed to be other than English in 2025/26.
The total covers state-funded nursery, primary, secondary, special and alternative provision schools, plus non-maintained special schools. It excludes independent and general hospital schools (table footnote 1). It is a first-language count, not a count of pupils who need English-language support. For the wider performance and inspection data sources, use the school data guide.
