NCLE statement in response to Ofqual’s announcement on GCSE French and German in 2024

The NCLE welcomes Ofqual’s statement today confirming better alignment between GCSE gradings in French, German and Spanish than prior to the pandemic. 

We particularly welcome Ofqual’s commitment to continue with adjustments to achieve further alignment.

The NCLE, working with 15 schools-led Language Hubs across England, focusses on supporting schools to take a leadership role in providing refreshed languages education as we prepare for the new GCSE specification, using evidence-informed methodologies in the classroom and addressing systemic factors to encourage more uptake.

Confidence in the equitable grading of GCSE will be an important factor in giving schools and students the motivation to increase uptake in GCSE languages in future.