Progress 8 is changing: What could it mean for Modern Languages?

As the UK Government consults on changes to Progress 8, what could it mean for language uptake — and how can MFL departments make their case?

Just when everyone had got comfortable with the phrase Progress 8, things could be changing again.The UK Government is consulting on changes to Key Stage 4 performance measures following the Curriculum and Assessment Review — and the implications are worth watching for MFL departments.

Why? Because accountability measures influence school decisions.The way subjects sit within Progress 8, alongside the removal of the existing EBacc performance measure, could affect the incentives schools have to encourage students to continue studying a language at GCSE.

The Association for Language Learning has been encouraging language teachers to engage with the discussion too.There are still questions to answer, and consultation means exactly that: proposals can change.

But whatever the eventual formula looks like, there’s a challenge that won’t disappear:Students need compelling reasons to choose languages.That means building confidence early, helping students see progress and giving them experiences of language that feel like genuine communication rather than simply another school subject.Accountability measures matter.

But if we’re serious about the future of MFL, engagement matters too.So, what is This is School doing about it?We can’t control what happens to Progress 8.

But we can help MFL departments make languages a subject students want to continue studying.That starts with making language lessons feel more human.

Our authentic, unscripted videos bring real voices and cultures into the classroom, helping students experience French, Spanish, German and Italian as living languages rather than just vocabulary lists and grammar rules.And because engagement can’t come at the expense of results, everything sits alongside curriculum-aligned activities covering listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar — helping students build confidence while working towards GCSE success.

We also want to give teachers more time to do what they do best: teach. Ready-to-use resources, assignments, automatic marking and progress tracking mean less time spent hunting for materials and more time spent bringing languages to life.

Because whatever happens to Progress 8, the strongest argument for MFL will always be students who are engaged, progressing and excited to keep learning.

‍That’s the bit we can help with.