In this lecture Professor Catherine Wallace explores the literacy and language development of two groups of EAL (English as an Additional Language) pupils in London schools: Year 5 pupils in a primary school and Year 8 new arrivals in a secondary school. As they navigate their way through the British educational system, the learners recount stories of success and setback, allowing us to draw a number of lessons about pedagogy and curriculum. The lecture concludes with recommendations for a sociolinguistically oriented approach to literacy and language learning that acknowledges the cultural and linguistic resources and needs of the growing number of these pupils in London classrooms.