Language Hub Schools

The Language Hubs initiative is the next step in the rollout of the Government’s flagship Language Hubs programme, which will raise national interest in studying languages and drive more pupils to study them throughout their education from primary schools onwards. Thousands more pupils are set to benefit from learning languages such as German, French and Spanish, as the Language Hub School Programme is set to lead on boosting how these subjects are taught across the country.

In an increasingly interconnected world, language skills are essential to business success in the global marketplace. Data from this year’s GCSE entries showed that modern foreign languages have become increasingly popular as a subject, with a 5.1% increase in GCSE entries in 2023 compared to last year and a 9.2% increase compared to 2019. Schools Minister Nick Gibb says: 

“Young people who are confident in a second language are at a huge advantage in life. On top of the social and cultural advantages it provides, there are many economic benefits of learning another language. That is why I have long called for more pupils to consider studying languages such as German at GCSE and this programme will crucially equip teachers with the necessary training and knowledge to support pupils looking to do so.”

The Language Hub School Programme is an initiative of the National Consortium for Language Education (NCLE), under the lead of the University College London. Excerpts of the here-issued information were first published by UCL under the title, “More pupils of all ages to study languages”.