A-Level language students begin mixed-school classes thanks to new programme

Schools and FE colleges across South West England are teaming up to promote and deliver modern language A-Levels inspired by a groundbreaking educational programme.

Year 12 pupils from institutions in Devon, Somerset and Cornwall are learning A-Level French or Spanish alongside counterparts at partner institutions signed up to Languages For All.

Coordinated by the University of Exeter and The Reach Foundation charity, Languages For All seeks to ensure that every 16-year-old has a modern language option in Year 12 by supporting schools to work together when it’s a challenge to deliver the class alone.

Schools in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton, Kingsbridge and Ivybridge are among the inaugural cohort, with many more signed up for language-focused outreach activities for their Year 11 pupils.

“We know that many young linguists are simply not able to follow their passion because of the way the nation’s education system is funded,” said Michael Slavinsky, Managing Director of Languages For All. “While it is laudable that funding follows student choice, it means that schools cannot always afford to run A-Level classes with small numbers of students, and the young people affected by this cannot fulfil their potential.

“Modern languages underpin national security, trade and international relations. They are also key to personal fulfilment and development for people of all ages. And that is why our programme is working to restore learning options and choice for the linguists of the future.”

Against a 20-year backdrop of declining numbers of pupils choosing to or being able to study modern languages at A-Level, the Reach Foundation developed Languages For All to improve access to learning. After a successful pilot in Hounslow, the South West has become the first region in the country to adopt its partnership approach, with the University acting as an anchor institution.

Through its Department of Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies, and its Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Exeter facilitates and stages campus events and alumni engagements, including a taster day for Year 11 pupils identified as promising linguists. The schools then orchestrate the teaching, combining classes across institutions to ensure viable numbers, and even organising joint trips abroad.

“It is wonderful to see the inaugural Languages For All cohort up and running here in the region,” says Dr Emily Lygo, a Senior Lecturer in Russian at the University. “At a time when so many schools are underfunded, Languages For All is striving to improve student choice and provide fairer and more equitable access to education. Through the project, we are also hoping to inspire the next generation of linguists, whose skills and critical thinking are so highly prized across business, journalism, civil service, security, and research.”

Among those taking part this year are six secondary schools which are part of Westcountry Schools Trust (WeST), based in Plymouth and West Devon. Around 40 students within WeST schools are now benefiting from learning French or Spanish in combined classes.

“We are so pleased to be involved in Languages For All and give more of our students the opportunity to study a language in Years 12 and 13,” says Jenni Bindon, Executive Director of Modern Foreign Languages at WeST. “With enrichment activities due to start imminently, we look forward to continuing to build our community of linguists and ensuring even more of our young people can benefit from all that learning a language brings.”

More than 160 Year 11 pupils from 14 state schools in Cornwall and Devon attended the Exeter campus last December for the taster day, which included opportunities to speak to employers and alumni about the benefits of studying languages. Many more are expected this year as the programme grows – with other regions set to launch in the near future.

For more information on Languages For All South West and how you can get involved to help talented young linguists continue their study of languages, please email: languagesforall@exeter.ac.uk . You can also find out more on the Languages For All South West website.