The Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMAT) is a team of professionals including teachers, teaching assistants, an educational welfare officer, and family support workers. Our aim is to work in partnership with schools to support pupils with English as an additional language (EAL), and Traveller, fair and circus pupils, to access high-quality education.
As a service, we:
- support and promote the educational achievement of BAME students
- provide the welcome service for International New Arrivals (INA), and support them to access school and educational opportunities
- offer targeted support in-school to promote EAL across the curriculum and support EAL learners to achieve, in partnership with schools
- act as an important link between school and home, attending admissions meetings and providing translation and interpreting services to help with communication between school and home
- provide and promote cultural awareness
- deliver training, including bespoke training packages in school
- assess students' language upon first arrival to accurately identify need, and provide a focus on pupil progression
- attend meetings and network with other professionals working with EAL learners and their families to ensure a co-ordinated approach
- provide in-school support to Traveller, fair and circus students and family liaison to improve attendance and educational opportunities