An international school has been opened in Coventry for children coming to live in the city who cannot speak English.

The teenagers are given a crash course in the unit at Barr’s Hill School and Community College in Radford Road, Radford, before moving into mainstream lessons at a school near their home.

Many of the children who are being given help are in families of asylum seekers and come from countries such as Kosovo, Albania and Afghanistan.

But the course is designed for any youngster who needs help with their English before they can start to get a full education.

A similar school for younger children has been running for some time at Hearsall Primary School in Bristol Road, Earlsdon.

The secondary section has only recently started, and Barr’s Hill headteacher Robin Brabban said it has been a huge success.

Mr Brabban said:

“There’s been a backlog of children whose English is not quite good enough to get them in mainstream school.

“The teaching is very intensive as we hope to move them on within a term.

“Once they have improved they go to a secondary school that is near their home, but it is easier to group them all together for this kind of teaching.”

Although the specialist section is separate from the main school activities, Mr Brabban said the other pupils had taken to their foreign guests very well.

He said: