The Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) is a specialist team of teachers who work in partnership with schools, parents and communities to address the educational needs of black and bilingual pupils and to raise their attainment.
The service is managed by Bristol City Council, with joint working arrangements with South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset councils. They work with minority ethnic pupils who are referred by schools, for example because of concerns about underachievement or because they are new to English and/or the UK.
EMAS liaises with other agencies dealing with issues such as corporate equalities, educational welfare, the educational psychology service, the early years partnership, speech and language as needed. The service contributes to the work of the local authority through appropriate working parties, dealing with for example race equality, asylum, literacy and inclusion. The service also has strong links with many local minority ethnic community groups within the four unitary authorities.