New research in the Department of Education shows that children classified as EAL (English as an Additional Language) usually catch up with their peers in their school attainment by the time they are 16.
Professor Steve Strand and Professor Victoria Murphy found that at the age of five only 44% of EAL pupils have achieved a good level of development compared to 54% of other pupils. However, by the age of 16, this gap has narrowed significantly with 58.3% achieving five A*- C GCSEs including English and maths compared to 60.9% of other pupils.
