The Languages Company

Primary Languages

We are working to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn a language in Key Stage 2. This involves monitoring progress, supporting Local Authorities and working with our partners to develop the necessary support tools. Priorities in 2009-10 will be to enable better progression from 7 through to secondary school, including the major challenges of transition and to help introduce appropriate kinds of assessment for primary age children.

We are preparing for the day when languages will be a statutory part of the primary curriculum as proposed in The Languages Review and agreed by the Secretary of State. Following Sir Jim Rose’s current review of the Primary Curriculum this is likely to take place in 2011.

Many Primary Languages Consultants completed an on-line survey last year which has successfully helped us to make the case for the continued funding for Primary Languages and to plan central support. The main findings from this survey show that almost every LA runs central training for primary languages which includes language training as well as methodology, that the support from LAs has been based on the Key Stage 2 framework and their priorities for 2010-11 are mostly progression, language training for staff teaching Years 5 and 6, and assessment. If you would like a fuller analysis of this survey you can access it here

Implementing The Languages Review

The Languages Review of 2007 has proposed a major reshaping of the secondary languages curriculum, a renaissance in languages in our schools.

We are working to ensure that the main proposals in the Review take effect – monitoring progress in schools, supporting the implementation of the new “performance indicators” and working with our partners to develop a new and more engaging secondary languages curriculum. Critical to this process will be support for teachers and the proposed new offer of enhanced CPD and opportunities for reflection.

Coordination and Promotion

Transforming languages in our country is a major endeavour. It requires the combined efforts of many partners

Our role is to make sure that we all work together in a coordinated way. We will also be making the case for languages and for the Languages Strategy – especially with national and local decision makers. Every year we will hold regional briefings for Primary Coordinators and for Secondary School leaders at the new Regional Languages Centres. We will maintain our presence at Conferences organised by Local Authorities, by National and International Organisations and by groups of schools.