MORE than 1,600 youngsters in Doncaster's schools do not speak English as their first language.
And at one school, Stirling Primary School, in Balby Bridge, youngsters with English as a first language are in the minority.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families revealed figures for January this year which show 872 pupils in the bor
ough's primary schools have a foreign language as their mother tongue.
It represents 4.4 per cent of all pupils in that age range.
The figure for secondary schools is 769 youngsters, 3.6 per cent of the total pupils.
Lesley Ward, a Doncaster teacher and an official of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said: "I do supply teaching at a school in Doncaster where we have seen a gradual increase in the number of pupils who do not have English as a first language.
"We have quite a few Polish pupils, and they do pick up the language quickly.
"I would say at the moment schools here are coping quite well but if there was any further increase there may need to be further funding.
"At the moment it is stretching resources but not breaking down."
When a child does not speak English, Doncaster Council sends speakers of the child's first language to the school to settle them in and provide initial intensive language.
The council declined to comment on the current situation.
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