The Languages Company

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Before contacting us directly you might find that your question – or something like it– it has already been answered.   These are some of the main concerns of language teachers and advisers during the first part of 2009.

Primary Languages

Entitlement
It will continue to be expected that all pupils will have the opportunity to learn a language throughout Key Stage 2 from 2010. OFSTED are already inspecting with this in mind. Entitlement means that all pupils in KS2 must be offered a language in curriculum time from 2010. Although there are recommended approaches as set out in the Key Stage 2 Framework and the QCA Schemes of Work, there are no statutory programmes of study.

Statutory
This means that there is a law stating that all pupils must learn a language and agreed programmes of study. This will need legislation and the establishment of programmes of study and reporting requirements after appropriate consultation as part of the current reform of the primary curriculum.   As this process will take time, it will not come into force until 2011.

 

In December 2008, all LAs were sent a letter outlining how much they would get in order to support primary languages in 2009-10. Primary Languages comes under grant 1.7 in the Standards Fund and is part of the primary strategy school targeted support (for details see SF circular).

LA s also received guidance which contained the following information and advice:

‘This element of grant has been allocated on the same basis as last year, comprising a lump sum of £60,000 and a per capita figure to take account of the number of Key Stage 2 pupils within the authority.  We have not, however, topped up any local authority’s allocations to the levels allocated last year, given falling pupil numbers.’

‘It is expected that a significant proportion of the total allocation for primary languages will be devolved directly to schools.  As a general rule, we would want to see, as in previous years, approximately two-thirds of an authority’s allocation devolved to schools.  It will be for individual authorities to decide how best to devolve this funding to ensure the building of capacity across the local area.  This devolved funding could then be used by schools to pay for in-service training for teachers and teaching assistants, purchase teaching resources and materials, and pay for the employment or shared employment of Foreign Language Assistants or other adults with language skills.’

Your Primary Strategy Manager should know how much your LA has been allocated for primary languages.

The short answer is yes. The guidance which was sent out with the standards fund allocation states:

‘……research has shown that two of the key challenges are progression within the primary sector and transition from primary to secondary schools.  Many schools and authorities are already tackling these issues in a variety of ways.  You will want to take these into account in your planning and consider whether measures to address these are more effective if undertaken at school or authority level.’

 

Secondary – KS3

There is now a possibility of teaching an intensive KS3, more likely in 2 years than 1,  but this does not mean that the course  can be truncated.  The pupils still have to have the opportunity to reach the standards expected of a 3 year course – and this is likely to be challenging in a language, especially for those starting from scratch in Year 7.     In addition MFL is in any case statutory at KS3, and the school would be in breach of its statutory duty if it did not teach languages to all pupils in Y8 and 9, unless they were exempted through a statement of SEN or there has been some kind of exemption for the purposes of experimentation.  

Disapplication from parts of the national curriculum is permitted, but this is not intended to allow blanket disapplication from a particular subject.  The latest position is contained in Sections 90-93 of the Education Act 2002 and can be summarised as follows:

Disapplication is permitted, for individual pupils:

 

• through a statement of special educational needs, under section 92 of the of the Education Act 2002;
• for a temporary period, through regulations under section 93 of the Act;

and, for groups of pupils or the school community, for a specified period:

• to enable curriculum development or experimentation, under section 90 of the Act.

The Secretary of State's specific approval to disapply is only necessary for applications under section 90 - curriculum development work and experiments. In all other cases the head teacher of the school takes the action, informing the local authority, governing body and parents as appropriate. All or part of the curriculum may be disapplied, but schools should ensure pupils' access to a broad and balanced curriculum or learning programme, including as much of the National Curriculum as possible.  Only National Curriculum programmes of study and assessment arrangements may be disapplied.  Disapplication may not be extended to other statutory requirements, such as issues around approved qualifications, religious education, sex education, careers education and collective worship.  Therefore, a whole school's pupils cannot be given a blanket disapplication for the purpose of SEN.  The individual pupils' SEN statements would have to reflect this.

More detailed information is available in the DCSF Guidance on Disapplication

 

Secondary KS4

Since 2004 schools must provide the opportunity for students in KS4 to take a course in all four entitlement areas, including languages.  QCA guidance on this states that "schools must provide access to a minimum of one course in a modern foreign language that leads to a qualification under section 96 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000".  It is for schools to timetable option blocks in such a way that pupils have a genuine choice, though of course it's up to them how they achieve this.  Schools must provide the opportunity for students to take a course in all four entitlement areas, including languages, should they wish to do so.  This was underscored in the letter sent by Jacqui Smith to all Head Teachers in 2006 (see also question on the Benchmark)

This covers the legal and administrative aspects.   Of course there is a perhaps more important issue which is about the importance of languages for all pupils and the opportunities which the new curriculum and many of the most recent curricular and assessment developments are providing.  There are many sources of argument in this area, among them materials produced by CILT and the Subject Centre in Languages Linguistics and Area Studies, and also the Channel 4 website.

The languages Review also provides much of the argument for languages and proposes how we might best take things forward.

Schools (other than specialist Language Colleges) are asked to audit their current provision and take-up for languages post-14  and record in the SEF  how they plan to increase take-up in the future to ensure that at least 50%  of the cohort are following a language course in key stage 4 leading to an appropriate qualification.

There are two indicators – one which measures attainment and the other which measures engagement.

The first (attainment )Performance Indicator  measures the percentage of the cohort at the end of key stage 4 achieving any approved qualification in a languages subject which is at Level 2 (or AS or Asset Languages Advanced) and at least equivalent in size to a GCSE (20% contribution to the threshold).  

The second (engagement) Performance Indicator  measures the percentage of the cohort at the end of key stage 4 achieving any approved qualification in a languages subject which is at Level 1 or above (see Q1) and at least equivalent in size to a short course GCSE (10% contribution to the threshold). 

These measures report  Level 1 & Level 2 qualifications and also two Level 3 qualifications - AS or Asset Languages Advanced taken in key stage 4.  Entry Level qualifications do not contribute to the Languages Performance Indicators but would still be reflected in the overall measures. Some qualifications cannot be included: Classical languages, British Sign Language, ESOL or any qualifications which reflect a study of literature and/or culture

A combination of individual qualifications can also be counted – e.g. each individual Asset Languages and NVQ language unit contribute 5% to the threshold so a student with 4 at L2 would meet the first PI and with 2 or more at L1 would meet the second PI.

Go to  www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk and search by language or qualification.
Click on the qualification title & then scroll down until you reach Performance Measures – click on this and you will find the contribution to the threshold of the specific qualification.  For any further queries contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

FOREIGN EXCHANGES

The new regulations come into force this autumn and they have caused some concern among teachers who organise the very valuable exchange visits which we strongly encourage.   The new rules are probably not as stringent as some people have believed:  there will for example be no cost involved as exchanges are a voluntary activity and they will also be phased in and so may not apply to your current exchanges until 2010.    Here is the latest guidance from the DCSF.

You might also contact the British Council with their long experience of exchanges

Of course most schools do in any case vet the suitability of families, and most parents understand amd expect this.  Even so we would be interested to hear of how these new regulations work in practice and whether any further clarification might be needed.