The Languages Company

Primary Languages and the Rose Review

In 2007 it was decided that languages should be a statutory part of the Primary Curriculum. Sir Jim Rose was asked to make proposals on how this would happen in his Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum.

After consultation the Final Report was published in March. It made five specific proposals –

1. Languages should be situated in the area of learning entitled ‘understanding English, communication and languages’, enabling teachers and learners to exploit the links between English and the chosen language(s).
2. Schools should focus on teaching only one or two languages in order to ensure that they are able to achieve progression over four years in line with the expectations of the Key stage 2 framework for languages.
3. Schools should be free to choose which languages to teach. But should take into account the need for progression to Key Stage 3.
4. Current workforce development programmes should continue at existing levels of funding.
5. OFSTED should review progress no later than 2014.

In addition the report contains detailed proposals on each Area of Learning.

A new Secondary curriculum

To address the challenges of secondary language learning, a number of key initiatives were implemented to support teaching and learning – including the Open School for Languages and a programme of teacher support and CPD.

The Secondary Curriculum was substantially revised in 2007 . This gave schools greater flexibility and should also to lead to higher achievement. The new languages curriculum is far less topic driven than previously and it explicitly relates language learning to intercultural understanding, so building on the primary experience.  Support for the new curriculum is being offered by the subject association ALL which has a website  (www.all-nsc.org.uk/nsc/) dedicated to the new curriculum.

In 2009 a revised Key Stage 3 Framework was published which takes account of and builds on the primary experience, so maintaining a coherent language curriculum.

Languages 14-19

The new Diploma in Languages and International Communication for students aged 14-19 was developed for introduction in 2011.  The Line of Learning and Criteria for the diploma qualifications were approved by OFQUAL in 2009 and a qualification was developed by AQA (City and Guilds).   The diploma built on the new primary and secondary curricula and provided a solid foundation for both using and understanding languages.

The current Government has decided not to support this diploma (one of the 4th phase diplomas), but it remains to be seen whether the qualification that has been developed can be used in some other way.

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