Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether academies are obliged to teach all national curriculum subjects at Key Stage 2; and what action will be taken if an academy does not teach modern foreign languages at Key Stage 2.

Both academies and maintained schools are under a duty to teach a balanced and broadly based curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school; and prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Unlike maintained schools, academies are not required to follow the national curriculum. Therefore, they are not under a statutory duty to teach modern foreign languages at key stage 2 although a primary academy may choose to do so as part of their key stage 2 curriculum.