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Questions and answers: MFL
- Is MFL optional at key stage 4 in all schools?
- Are there any qualifications for pupils in year 10 or year 11 other than Entry level and GCSE, and do they count in performance tables?
- Have there been any changes to do with MFL at key stage 3?
- What exactly is the relationship between the national curriculum and the key stage 3 framework for teaching modern foreign languages: years 7, 8 and 9?
- The government is encouraging primary schools to offer MFL at key stage 2. Is MFL going to become a compulsory part of the key stage 2 curriculum?
Is MFL optional at key stage 4 in all schools?
Schools can decide how they structure their key stage 4 curriculum, provided that this complies with all statutory requirements. For MFL the main requirement is that schools must provide, for all students, access to at least one course in a modern foreign language that leads to an approved qualification. It is up to the school to decide whether or not MFL is optional. Data from various sources indicate that MFL is now optional at key stage 4 in about two-thirds of schools. In the remaining one-third of schools MFL is still a compulsory subject up to the end of year 11. Full details of statutory requirements for MFL at key stage 4 can be found in the right-hand menu.
Are there any qualifications for pupils in year 10 or year 11 other than Entry level and GCSE, and do they count in performance tables?
There is a wide choice of qualifications in MFL approved for use at key stage 4. For full information, go to the 'Qualifications' section in the left-hand menu. Since September 2004 all of these qualifications are included in the redesigned achievement and attainment tables. The points score for each qualification is included in the information on QCA’s NDAQ web site. You can get further information about the new tables from the DfES website.
Have there been any changes to do with MFL at key stage 3?
No. There have been no changes to the key stage 3 programme of study for MFL nor to any of the statutory requirements.
What exactly is the relationship between the national curriculum and the key stage 3 framework for teaching modern foreign languages: years 7, 8 and 9?
The national curriculum key stage 3 programme of study for MFL sets out what pupils should be taught, and the attainment targets set out the expected standards of pupils’ performance. The framework proposes yearly objectives that cover all of the statements in the programme of study, concentrating particularly on section 1 ('Acquiring knowledge and understanding of the target language'). It is designed to raise standards by supporting high-quality teaching and learning. Schools must cover the programme of study. The framework, which is not a statutory document, suggests how this can be done effectively and successfully.
The government is encouraging primary schools to offer MFL at key stage 2. Is MFL going to become a compulsory part of the key stage 2 curriculum?
The government intends that by 2010 all pupils in key stage 2 will have the chance to learn at least one foreign language. The number of primary schools teaching MFL is growing, although there is a wide variety of approaches and few schools are currently teaching MFL to all pupils throughout key stage 2. Through the provision of initial teacher training courses, training programmes for practising teachers, advice networks and resources centres the availability of suitably qualified teachers is improving. However, the government has not said that it intends to make MFL a statutory part of the key stage 2 curriculum.
You can find more information about the national languages strategy on the DfES languages website. Find out more about modern foreign language learning in primary schools on the National Advisory Centre for Early Language Learning website.