Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the difficulty in obtaining top grades in exams on the number of students choosing to study a foreign language at GCSE.

The Department is aware that many factors can influence a student’s decision to study languages at GCSE level. As the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessment in England, Ofqual takes claims of grading severity in modern foreign languages (MFL) seriously. Ofqual is currently conducting a comprehensive review of grading standards in GCSE French, German and Spanish to see if there is a compelling case for an adjustment to grading standards in these subjects. Ofqual’s review will consider statistical evidence, contextual data including trends in the numbers taking these subjects, and the quality of students’ work through looking at how GCSE grades relate to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Ofqual is also gathering the views of subject experts and other stakeholders and is due to report on this work in autumn 2019.

The Department wants to see more pupils taking a language GCSE. We are supporting schools to increase the number of pupils taking GCSEs in languages through several programmes including, the £4.8 million MFL pedagogy programme, an undergraduate digi-mentoring scheme, the £10 million Mandarin Excellence Programme, and targeted communications activity at key points in the school year to challenge misconceptions about studying languages.