School governor defends school 'where no-one speaks English'

Reporter: Kirsty Rigg
Date online: 28 January 2009

Heybrook Primary School is one of ten schools across the country where not a single pupil speaks English as a first language, it has been revealed.

Local councillors have slammed a report, which appeared in the Daily Mail today (Wednesday 28 January), stating that the Hamer school is one of the worst in the country for integration.

The report claims that 600 primary schools have 70 per cent or more of youngsters who normally speak a foreign language. But ten schools, one of which being Heybrook which has no pupils whatsoever who speak English as their original language.

Across the country, one in seven pupils aged 4-11 does not have English as the first language, which is the equivalent of 466,620 children.

Councillor Ibrar Khan, who is a governor at the school and a former pupil said: ““I went to Heybrook primary school speaking fluent English and so do my three children. I would like to know how this research has been compiled because I believe it is inaccurate.”

“This school is in a predominantly Asian community, and that is reflected by the pupils who go there.

“However, my children go there and I know that every aspect of the curriculum is done in English. This school has helped our family fully integrate into British culture and they have a new headmaster who I have every confidence in. He is doing a great job.

“I reject the idea that this school is acting as some kind of barrier to integration. It’s doing exactly the opposite. Rochdale does not suffer from the kind of divisions that we’ve seen in other parts of the country. Our Borough has a very good track record for community cohesion”.

Councillor Ahmed said: “People who condemn this school need to come and see the reality,”

“Yes, some of the children speak more than one language but I believe that is a positive. I’m sure the pupils who attend this school will go on to make a good contribution to life in Rochdale and I think it’s wrong to suggest otherwise”.