The questionnaire was sent out to a representative random sample
of 2,000 secondary schools in England, 1500 maintained and 500
independent schools, in September 2007. A total of 860 completed
questionnaires were received for this national analysis, a response
rate of 43%.
Key findings:
- The very rapid decline in pupil numbers in Key Stage 4 appears
to be slowing. Figures for Year 11 show a small decline on last
year, and are stable for Year 10.
- Schools with low participation rates are reluctant to set
targets to increase them. Only 17% of schools with languages
optional in Key Stage 4 have acted on the Government’s requirement
to set a benchmark for participation in languages – the same
proportion as last year.
- In the independent sector, languages for all in Key Stage 4 is
still the norm. Independent schools also offer a greater choice of
languages, though there is a greater diversity of qualifications in
the maintained sector.
- French and German have been seriously affected by the decline,
but Spanish continues to see increases in pupil numbers. More
schools now offer Spanish than German. (Although, in terms of pupil
numbers, German still has 40% more GCSE candidates than
Spanish.)
- There has been a growth in the use of alternative
qualifications to GCSE, in particular Asset Languages. The number
of maintained schools using Asset Languages has risen to 14% from
9% last year.
- Nearly one third of schools have reduced lesson time for
languages in Key Stage 3 and 6% are compressing Key Stage 3 into
two years instead of three.
Regional analysis:
A total of 689 maintained schools responded to the survey out of
1500 selected (a 46% response rate).
- North
East (pdf, 61kb)
- North
West (pdf, 65kb)
- Yorkshire
& The Humber (pdf, 61kb)
- East
Midlands (pdf, 60kb)
- West
Midlands (pdf, 61kb)
- East
(pdf, 60kb)
- London
(pdf, 66kb)
- South
East (pdf, 62kb)
- South
West (pdf, 62kb)
- Languages
offered at different levels by region (xls, 116kb)