Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the quality of language lessons in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

​​The Government remains committed to increasing the proportion of pupils who choose to study a language up to GCSE and beyond, as well as to improving the quality of language teaching at both primary and secondary schools. The Department funds a number of language education programmes, with a primary aim of improving teacher and lesson quality.

​On 3 March 2023, the Department announced the launch of a new Language Hubs programme, worth up £14.9 million. Managed by the National Consortium for Languages Education, the programme seeks to improve the standards of language teaching in line with the recommendations of the Teaching Schools Council’s 2016 Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Pedagogy review. This includes the provision of continuing professional development (CPD), training, and support for language teachers nationwide, as well as improving transition between Key Stages 2 and 3.​

​Since 2016, the Department has funded the £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme, which supports schools and teachers to deliver intensive Mandarin study to increase the quality of Mandarin lessons and uptake in the subject. The programme provides specially designed teacher meetings for professional development and a forum to share ideas and best practice, as well as provision of online teaching materials and resources to enhance lessons.

​The Department’s £3.9 million Latin Excellence Programme, which began in September 2022, is designed to fund and support non selective schools to deliver Latin teaching at Key Stages 3 and 4. The programme provides a fully resourced, evidence based curriculum to support all pupils at Key Stages 3 and 4, regardless of starting point, and regular, high quality CPD for teaching Latin in the state sector.

​To ensure high standards of MFL teaching, language curriculum materials and associated resources will be developed by Oak National Academy as part of its second tranche of procurement. First materials will be available from autumn 2024, and full curriculum packages by autumn 2025. This will ensure that high quality, optional lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils.