Written question asked by Andrew Snowden (Conservative) on Monday, 7 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 9 July 2025. It was answered by Catherine McKinnell (Labour) on Tuesday, 15 July 2025 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Languages: Education

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage more students to study languages in schools.

Answer

The study of languages is compulsory under the national curriculum at key stages 2 and 3 for all maintained schools, and will become compulsory in academies, subject to the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The most important factor in encouraging students to continue studying languages beyond key stage 3 is the quality of teaching. The government continues to fund the National Consortium for Languages Education, which is developing a new model of language support for schools and online continuing professional development for teachers that will support high quality language teaching. This programme is designed to have national reach, ensuring that all schools can benefit regardless of their location.

To further support languages education, the department is offering a £26,000 tax-free bursary for trainee language teachers starting courses in 2025, or alternatively, a £28,000 tax-free scholarship for those training to teach French, German, or Spanish. Additionally, Oak National Academy is developing modern foreign languages lesson resources for key stages 2 to 4, to be fully released by autumn 2025, helping teachers deliver high quality lessons and reduce planning time.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 65645
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Education Languages Schools
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Languages: Education

Secondary information

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