Education bosses have had to alter funding rules to help primary schools cope with the influx of pupils from eastern Europe.

Significant numbers of children are arriving in the city from EU accession states - many without basic English language skills - and union bosses have expressed concerns over the ability of primary schools to cope at a time when pupils' average academic performance across the district is falling.

Phillip Shackleton, Bradford branch secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said he was concerned about the consequences of further countries entering the EU.

He said: "Language is a massive issue and the situation will become a greater problem when Bulgaria joins the EU. It's very, very daunting for teachers when they are faced with pupils who do not speak English."

A spokesman for Education Bradford said: "There has been a large influx of migration from central and eastern Europe - with families specifically arriving from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

"One of the things we have done to help schools is to alter the funding formula.

"Schools did get extra money to provide extra support for children who needed it after arriving from the Asian sub-continent.

"We have now extended that to include children from central and eastern European countries."

Education Bradford also provides translators, teaching assistants and peripatetic English language tutors.

The spokesman said Education Bradford had also employed a "small number" of extra staff to help schools cope with the language demands being placed on them.

Sue Hardcastle, head teacher at Bowling Park Primary, in West Bowling, said the school had admitted 32 pupils from eastern Europe during the last academic year.

"We started off with 15 on the role in September and finished the year with 47. Pupils from eastern Europe now make-up more than 12 per cent of our numbers."

Mrs Hardcastle stressed the new arrivals had "enriched" the school and settled in well. Bowling Park Primary has a number of pupils from Slovakia and now employs its own native speaker from the country. The school also has a dedicated English tutor.

Mrs Hardcastle said: "It's about immersing them in English and using resources such as games and activities to support them. We have pupils from Europe who have been here for only a couple of years who you would not now think were born out of the country.

e-mail: dan.webber @bradford.newsquest.co.uk