ESOL funding#

Period 1 2026 statistics#

Terms 1 and 2 ESOL funding payments for 90,771 students across 1,754 schools were made in early May.

Updated status lists are available for download via your school's Secure Data Portal.

Period 2 2026 applications#

ESOL funding applications for Period 2 (Terms 3 and 4) are due by Saturday 1 August 2026. The Secure Data Portal will be open from 27 July to receive applications. Please do not upload your application when the portal shows a 'closed' message.

1 August falls in the weekend this year so we will accept submissions made on Monday 3 August.

Here are some tips and tricks for ensuring a smooth ESOL funding period for you, and us:

• check you are updating and submitting the correct status list: 'Ministry of Education ESOL Status List for 2026 Period 1 (Terms 1 and 2) – use this status list to apply for 2026 Period 2 funding'
• do not alter the formatting of the spreadsheet. Applications are processed by an automated system, and any alterations may result in unreadable data
• upload your application in Excel format (.xlsx or .xls). We cannot use PDFs, Google docs or Numbers files
• check there is no missing information, for example NSN, ELLP scores.

More information about the ESOL funding process is available on our website.

Apply for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) funding

Communicating with whānau#

When working with CALD learners, communication with the whānau | family can sometimes be a challenge. As a school, it will be important to know whether your CALD learners’ whānau require additional language support for school communication, and what this support may look like.

Translations#

Providing crucial information in a language spoken by the whānau will help them know what is happening at the school and ensure that they are able to stay connected with their child’s learning. Parents often have electronic translation tools that they are familiar with and that they can use to understand school materials. These tools work best for major languages (for example, Spanish, French, Arabic) and may be less accurate for smaller or less resourced languages (for example, Karen, Tigrinya).

Schools may also want to produce translated materials for their school whānau. For official school information endorsed with a school logo, professional translators should be used, to ensure that there are no mistranslations.

Schools who have bilingual liaison workers/bilingual learning assistants may choose to allocate some of their time to translating school notices. If these are not professional translators, schools could include a brief statement to indicate that the document is not an official translation but has been provided to support whānau in understanding the notice.

Interpreting in meetings#

In meetings with parents, interpreting or language support may be required. There are some key considerations when choosing appropriate support.

• Children should not be interpreting for their parents. There is a significant risk of information being lost or misinterpreted, and it can have negative impacts on the parent-child relationship.
• Whānau need to be comfortable with the person interpreting or providing language support for them, particularly if the meeting is of a sensitive nature. This may mean:
  • allowing the family to bring a support person who they are comfortable with (for example, an extended family member, community member or friend). This may not be appropriate if there is complex information to convey
  • engaging a bilingual learning assistant who the family already has a relationship with
  • using an external, qualified interpreter who is bound to confidentiality and has no prior relationship with the whānau.
• For interpreted meetings or parent-teacher interviews, interpreting time must be factored in. Expect the meeting to take twice as long as it normally would.

Knowing the student’s whānau will help you determine the best option. If the whānau is uncomfortable with the language support provided, offer to find an alternative solution.

Bilingual learning assistant/support person#

Engaging a bilingual support person or learning assistant working at your school has several benefits.

• They will be familiar with the student and the school, and likely to understand the context.
• They may know the family from previous interactions and have an established relationship with them.
• The language support can be provided as part of their normal work hours.

However, there are also some potential drawbacks.

• There may be connections between the bilingual support worker and the whānau or their ethnic community outside of the school which could make the family uncomfortable when speaking about sensitive matters.
• The bilingual support worker may not have the training and expertise to interpret in certain situations.

Interpreters#

Interpreters can be sourced from interpreting agencies such as Interpreting New Zealand. Sometimes local community organisations can also provide contacts of interpreters. Ensure that you know the credentials of the interpreter before engaging them.

Engaging trained interpreters has many advantages:

• they will already have confidentiality agreements, as well as training in a range of situations. They will be expected to act professionally
• if interpreting takes place over the phone, there is an added dimension of anonymity.

Potential challenges may include:

• cost to the school
• even professional interpreters may know the whānau and their community outside of the school setting. This is particularly the case for smaller community groups, and when interpreters are attending face to face. Confidentiality agreements may not be sufficient to reassure the family in these cases.

Communicating in English#

Some culturally and linguistically diverse whānau will be comfortable communicating in English, given the right conditions. Schools can make information in English more accessible by taking into consideration the needs of CALD whānau:

• use plain language which avoids school jargon and overly formal language as well as colloquialisms and slang
• make sure any acronyms and specialised words are explained
• only use digital modes of communication with parents who are confident using digital tools
• use good communication strategies in meetings and conversations with whānau:
  • speak clearly and slowly
  • allow time for whānau to comprehend the message and formulate responses
  • ask questions to clarify anything that seems unclear
  • ask questions to check that the information has been understood
• get to know what mode of communication works best for a particular whānau.
  • Do they prefer written information that they can decipher without time pressure?
  • Do they prefer spoken information that does not require advanced reading skills in English?

Preferred methods of communication will vary between parents, and building close relationship with whānau will be the best way of ensuring effective communication.

Celebrating the success of our students#

Our Community Partnerships team, working alongside local Learning Community Hubs (LCH) community groups, recently hosted 4 Ethnic Youth Success Awards events across Hamilton, Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington during April and May. These events recognised and celebrated senior secondary students for their academic achievements, leadership, and service.

We partnered with LCH providers, host schools, regional and district councils, and tertiary institutions, such as AUT and the University of Waikato, to bring these events to life. To date, 138 students have been acknowledged, with 1 more event to be held in Ōtautahi Christchurch later in June.

We encourage schools to work with their local communities to create meaningful opportunities to recognise and celebrate the success of their ākonga. This could include culturally grounded celebrations, school-based events, or other creative approaches that reflect the unique identities and strengths of their students.

Growing capability in EAL#

English as an additional language (EAL) is being introduced as a new subject in the senior secondary curriculum.

A glimpse into culture through stories#

The legend reminds us that kindness and generosity lead to positive outcomes, while greed and selfishness can cause harm. Sharing what we have strengthens both individuals and communities.

Building inclusive school communities: Key dates#

These upcoming days of significance are shared to support awareness. We encourage schools to also consider other important dates that reflect their learners and local communities.

• 20 June: World Refugee Day
• 29 June to 5 July: New Zealand Chinese Language Week
• 5 to 11 July: Kiribati Language Week
• 10 July: Matariki
• 21 July: World Kiswahili Language Day
• 26 July to 1 August: Vanuatu Language Week.