If your child’s first language isn’t English or Irish
If your child is enrolled in a school but doesn't have satisfactory language skills to take part fully in the school curriculum and does not have a language in common with the teacher, they are called a “newcomer” pupil.
Newcomer pupils
Newcomer pupils in schools speak about 80 different languages representing a variety of cultures. The most popular languages spoken are Polish, Lithuanian, Portuguese and Romanian. To read more information about newcomers, go to:
Intercultural Education Service
The Intercultural Education Service (IES) supports newcomer children in the classroom. To read more about IES, go to:
Guidelines
The Department of Education published guidelines in association with the policy 'Supporting Newcomer Pupils 2009'. These guidelines are about criteria for identifying a pupil as a newcomer and sharing good practice and can be viewed below: