Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what the basis was for the decision not to introduce an advanced languages premium to boost A level take-up.

In our response to the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review we made a commitment to work with the sector to understand successful approaches to supporting the languages pipeline, starting at primary by reforming the curriculum, increasing take up at GCSE, and boosting demand at A level and degree level, to meet future social and economic needs.

We also want to learn from successful approaches such as the ‘Languages for All’ programme in partnership with Royal Holloway University of London, which has doubled the number of students studying modern languages at A level, through their pilot in Hounslow.

The department will support teachers to implement changes to the curriculum, though continued investment in the National Consortium for Languages Education, which provides high quality professional development and wraparound support for language teachers, with national reach.