Is the arrival in Britain of emigree children from the new EU states, such as Poland, a cause for concern for schools? We look at case studies of schools facing the challenge of these new arrivals. Since EU expansion the UK has seen a transformation in the nature of immigration, with Europeans from the newly admitted eastern states becoming the dominant group, in particular Poles. Much is made of the negative effects of immigration, but this programme looks at how four schools who have been facing the challenge of integrating large numbers of newly arrived Polish students across the key stages are not only managing but see benefits from their arrival. Most of the new students arrive with very little English, but all four schools have been successful at including them, whether they have been able to draw on an existing Polish community or not.

Video Series: School Matters
Release Date 2006