The Speak to the Future seminar at the Language show at Olympia 2018 showcased how to develop a successful primary languages curriculum for the future.   Bunmi Richards, Head Teacher from Shaftesbury Park Primary School and Philip Yorke, Subject Lead, gave an inspiring example of how their school puts language policy into practice through a bilingual stream in French.

Last September, Shaftesbury Park Primary School became the first school in the UK to receive the LabelFrancEducation by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, joining a network of over 250 accredited French bilingual schools in the world. The LabelFrancEducation can be awarded to schools that offer a quality bilingual stream of education with reinforced instruction in French, including at least 20% of the national curriculum taught in French (through other non-linguistic subjects like sport, arts, history and geography, or others).

If you would like to read more about their curriculum: PDF presentation download

To build the necessary skills of the current and next generations, education in language and culture from an early age will be essential.

• Why 21st Century Britain needs a global mind-set and more and better language skills
• Why French, German and Spanish will remain key languages for the future
• Why international experience and intercultural understanding are important
• How bilingual education develops employability skills, providing clear academic and career benefits
• How bilingualism can lead to cognitive gains
• How languages open the door to other cultures and why this is critical for UK society post-Brexit