Primary school Children in Year 6 will be able to sit national curriculum tests in their mother tongue for the first time this year.

Translators will be made available to help those students for whom English is a second language (ESL).

Instructions for science and maths tests will be written in English and translated into their language orally by translators. Pupils will be able to write answers in their mother tongue.

General instructions in English exams will also be translated orally but students will have to answer in English as these exams are designed to assess the pupils' ability to read and write in English.

Although systems exist to help ethnic minority pupils who aren't fluent English speakers settle in schools, pupils have never been able to take exams in their home language.

The move has been prompted by complaints from headteachers who believed their schools were unfairly penalised in the league tables if they had a large number of ESL students.

John Moore, headteacher at Belvedere Junior School, Mitchell Close, Belvedere welcomes the move.

He said: "We occasionally have pupils whose first language is not English our current Year 6 has a pupil who's native language is Russian he could benefit a translator when he takes his exams.

"I believe it is a good thing pupils who struggle with English will have this option."

Mr Moore explained it is not only basic instructions pupils have problems with they also may have trouble expressing themselves clearly and giving reasons for their answers if they are speaking in a language which is not familiar to them.

He said: "It can take years for a child coming to England from another country to speak the language fluently.

"They may be able to give answers to a question in English but may lose marks if they have to describe reasons for their answer.

"The introduction of translators will make the exams fairer for these pupils."