Languages
2024 Pearson Edexcel French GCSE Specification accredited by Ofqual
We are very excited to announce that our 2024 Pearson Edexcel French GCSE Specification has been officially accredited by Ofqual!
Student-centred, inclusive and compassionate assessment design is at the heart of this new qualification , and we want to reassure you that all the following features that were discussed in our launch events remain in the accredited version:
Paper 1, Speaking:
- 1 minute private ‘read aloud’ preparation time
- Role play focussed on transactional contexts listed in Specification, with no requirement to use formal language
- Picture task thematic context selected in advance
Paper 2, Listening:
- 3 listens for both comprehension and dictation
- Appropriate pausing
- Chunking of longer texts
Paper 3, Reading:
- Use of images to support cultural knowledge
- Chunking of longer texts
Paper 4, Writing:
- Inclusive tasks set in familiar contexts
- 4 supportive bullet points on all longer writing tasks
We want to support you as you prepare for the delivery of this qualification from September 2024 and are now pleased to inform you that we will be hosting ‘Getting ready to teach’ events this Autumn, where we will:
- Walk you through the detail of each paper and their accompanying mark schemes
- Support your understanding of the vocabulary and grammar requirements
- Explore planning approaches
Subject advisor
Rebecca Waker
Languages
Subject updates
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March 2026 Languages Update
Welcome to the March 2026 Languages update. For some international qualifications, speaking exams are now getting underway, while for UK qualifications this is still a time to prepare and get everything in place.
Alongside speaking, this update also flags a small number of wider qualification updates and reminders worth knowing about now, with clear signposting to the support available, so you can focus on what matters most for you and your students.
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GCSE (2024) French, German and Spanish Digital Sequencing Tool
The Digital Sequencing Tool replaces the GCSE French, German and Spanish Sequencing Grids from the previous qualification.
From 2026 onwards, teachers will use this digital tool to create the individual sequences of tasks for each assessment.