Equalities and Diversity Service 

Service Description: 

The Equalities and Diversity Service, including the New Arrivals Team, provides a range of services to support schools on equalities issues and in their support of newly arrived pupils, their families and bilingual students. 

SLA services offered: 

  • We provide advice, support and training to schools on a range of equalities issues including the equalities duty, anti-racist and anti-homophobic education, black and minority ethnic pupil achievement and the progress of children learning English as and additional language. 
  • Also the Equalities Adviser offers a range of training courses which can be booked via the CPD website 
  • We maintain a register of bilingual assistants covering a range of languages.  The Bilingual Assistants can be employed on an hourly basis and only work for schools and families in Merton and Sutton. They are fully DBS checked and trained by us. 
  • They are able to: 
    • support EAL pupils in class  
    • conduct first language assessments
    • interpret at parent or EHCP meetings. 

Bookings can be arranged via the Team.  

  • We provide training on refugee issues and work in partnership with South London Refugee Association to give advice on educational matters for Refugee and Asylum Seeking families. We support newly arrived and refugee families in accessing education services provided within Merton.  

SLA pricing

Pay as you go service - rates as of 1st April 2019. 

Bilingual support hourly rate (minimum booking two hours). We charge by the full hour  

£15.60 

Contacts

If you require additional information please contact

Fawzia Zahidie
New Arrivals Team
Merton School Improvement 
Tel: 020 8545 4064
Email: fawzia.zahidie@merton.gov.uk