National Consortium for Languages Education
IOE – Faculty of Education and Society

Latest news

NCLE response to 2025 GCSE languages results

Summary of GCSE languages results: Vicky Gough, British Council Schools Adviser, said: “Congratulations to all students receiving their GCSE language results today! “As our Language Trends research predicted, Spanish has now overtaken French as the most popular GCSE. Its growing popularity and cultural appeal show there is real appetite for language learning – when pupils … Continued

Crisis or variation in languages education provision in England?

By Zhu Hua, Elin Arfon and Ann-Marie Hunter Language learning in the UK is often framed as being in a state of “crisis”, foregrounded particularly by declining language GCSE uptake and concerns about the long-term future of language learning in schools. But does this narrative provide a fair reflection of what is happening across all schools in England? Our … Continued

NCLE response to 2025 A-level languages results

Vicky Gough, British Council Schools Adviser, said: “Congratulations to all students receiving their A-level language results today. “The significant drop in French and German entries this year is alarming and highlights an urgent need for the increased promotion of language learning in schools.  “Our most recent Language Trends research reveals a stark reality – language … Continued

Department of Education Visits Derwent Language Hub

After a wonderful visit by the Department of Education to Littleover Community School, NCLE Specialist Teacher and Head of German Dawn Piper shared an overview of the day. “On Tuesday 24th September, Derwent Language Hub at Littleover Community School were delighted to host the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Education and nearly 250 civil … Continued

We’re celebrating European Day of Languages!

Hola! Tag! Ciao! Bonjour! NCLE Language Hubs around the country have been celebrating European Day of Languages on 26th September. Check out some of the wonderful activities that were happening to celebrate the beauty of language diversity. Beeleigh Language Hub has been working to to boost language education in Essex. Tyne to Tees Language Hub … Continued

Celebrating European Day of Languages

European Day of Languages is on 26 September 2024. Run by the Council of Europe, this is a fabulous opportunity to involve your pupils in international activities and open the door to the wider world. The theme this year is Languages for Peace (a topic that’s arguably more relevant than ever). What will you do … Continued

NCLE Parent Survey 2024 results show that most parents in England support mandatory foreign language classes

Key findings from NCLE Parent Survey:  Two-thirds (68%) of parents in England believe learning a modern foreign language in secondary school should be compulsory, according to a new poll.  Parents are now being urged to recommend foreign language GCSEs to their children, emphasising the growing importance of multilingual and international skills. The survey questioned 2,500 parents … Continued

NCLE celebrates increase in Modern Foreign Languages entries for 2024 GCSEs

Vicky Gough, British Council Schools Adviser, said: “Congratulations to all students receiving their GCSE language results today! It’s wonderful to see a rise in the uptake of all languages. Notably, German has increased after experiencing one of the steepest declines last year, while the popularity of Spanish continues to soar, bringing it nearly on par … Continued

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