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The newly established NCLE will be led by IOE who will work with key stakeholders across the Languages subject community, including the Goethe-Institut and the British Council.
Who are we?
IOE, together with the Goethe-Institut and the British Council will lead a new nationwide hubs programme funded by the DfE up to £14.9 million over the next three years to re-energise language learning in state-maintained primary and secondary schools in England.
- Our vision
We believe that languages and intercultural agility can help to foster universal understanding and contribute to building a peaceful and harmonious world future.
We recognise that Global Britain needs more and better language skills. In our globalised economy, language skills and intercultural understanding add value and widen opportunities for individuals, communities and society.
- Our mission
To fulfil this potential, we must leverage the value of all our languages by providing high quality language teaching in schools; increasing languages uptake at GCSE; levelling up opportunities for disadvantaged pupils; addressing the performance of boys; and better recognising and supporting the rich diversity of languages in addition to English spoken by one in every five of our pupils.
- Our aim
NCLE will develop, support and future-proof a collaborative network of up to 25 lead hubs, each comprising up to seven partner schools, to reinvigorate and strengthen system-led leadership in languages across England and improve the learning opportunities and outcomes for all pupils.
- Our ethos
We believe in collaboration, creativity and collegiality. To build capacity in languages across the regions, we will listen to teachers and pupils and develop core and bespoke training to meet their language learning needs.
- Belief in progress
We are committed to building progress through policy, principles, professional development and promotion. We will uphold the recommendations and principles enshrined in Sir Ian Bauckham’s 2016 Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review.
Becoming a Lead Hub School
The first phase of these hubs programme will be the recruitment of secondary schools as Hub Schools. Schools will be selected through a transparent and rigorous process according to the criteria agreed with the Department for Education outlined below:
- Be geographically spread across England;
- Be rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted;
- Have EBacc entry rates equal to, or greater than, the national rate of entry (37%) on average across the past 5 years, including over 75% languages entry;
- Commit to adherence to, and promotion of, the principles and recommendations of the 2016 Modern Foreign Languages Pedagogy Review.
If you are interested in joining this new nationwide programme and becoming a Lead Hub School, please register your interest by Monday 24 April. Please note you will need to complete this form to be considered as a Hub School but by completing the form there is no obligation at this stage to become one.
Register your interest in becoming a Lead Hub School
Team
NCLE Director
- Bernardette Holmes MBE - Honorary Professor
Director of Partnerships and Professional Development
- Caroline Conlon - Associate Professor (Education)
Director of Research and Innovation
- Professor Zhu Hua - Professor of Language Learning and Intercultural Communication
Chair of Board of Directors
- Professor Li Wei - IOE Director and Dean, Professor of Applied Linguistics
Latest news
IOE has been selected to lead a new nationwide Language Hubs programme, providing thousands of students across England with high quality language teaching via a centre of excellence.
IOE has been ranked as ‘world-leading’ for 10 years, having been recognised as 1st for Education as a subject every year since 2014 by the QS World University Rankings – the world’s most consulted university ranking.