English a second language for 25%

A quarter of primary school pupils in the Rochdale borough do not speak English as their first language.

The figure of 3,866 pupils, or 25.4%, is the fourth highest in the North West behind Blackburn (39.8%), Manchester (32.1%) and Oldham (32.1%).

Figures for secondary schools are lower at 19.9%, or 2,595 of the 13,030 students. Again only Blackburn (30.9%), Manchester (28.8%) and Oldham (20.6%) have a higher rate in the North West.

Across the country, English is a second language to more than one in seven primary school youngsters.

Critics said the figures show that Britain’s immigration policy is putting pressure on primary schools.

However, the Department for Education and Skills said that figures only indicated that English was not a pupil’s mother tongue.

A spokeswoman said: “The fact is, being an English as an additional language pupil doesn’t mean you don’t speak English.”