'We are committed to equality for all; this commitment underpins all our work with ethnic minority children, young people, their parents and carers and schools. We believe that ethnic minority children and young people are entitled to equality of access to education in order to reach their full potential.'

The Language Development Service (LDS) is funded primarily by the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant from the DCSF and by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The Service is located within the Family and Children's Services Business Group, and is one of a number of Services in the Section for Access and Inclusion.

The aim of the LDS is to support schools in improving provision for ethnic minority pupils in schools, and in particular those who are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). Ethnic minority pupils represent 74% of the total school roll in Kensington and Chelsea, with EAL pupils comprising 52% of all pupils, and more than a 100 languages other than English spoken. In some schools specific groups of ethnic minority pupils who are underachieving have been identified for support, including refugees, asylum seekers and Traveller pupils. These groups of pupils are targeted specifically by our Refugee and Traveller Education Teams who work peripatetically in a number of schools.

Given the ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity within the Royal Borough’s schools, school–based staff funded through delegated EMAG funding work collaboratively with their colleagues in mainstream classrooms to develop language in the curriculum and to promote access to, and achievement in the National Curriculum. In this way they are able to support all ethnic minority pupils, including those who are learning EAL across the full ability range.

The LDS Central Team is based at the Isaac Newton Professional Development Centre in Lancaster Road, London W11 1QS and provides professional advice, support and training for headteachers, managers and school-based EMA and mainstream staff.