Schools supporting excellence in languages - March 2013 case studies

Aug 29, 2026

Upload by Đào

Thirty-four teaching school alliances and their partner schools work collaboratively to share best practice for teaching languages across primary and secondary phases. Projects are shaped by local audits and informed by the 2011 Ofsted report on modern languages, achievement and challenge. The publication compiles case studies funded through the Languages Support Programme, highlighting staff-led approaches including action research, professional development, and student engagement. Contact details are provided for the schools and teachers involved to support practical replication in other teaching contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages94

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Action research

Developing teachers’ language teaching practice

Schools supporting excellence in languages Introduction Thirty-four teaching schools and their alliance schools across the country have been working with great commitment and imagination on projects aimed at sharing and developing best practice in the teaching of languages in both primary and secondary schools. The topics which each school or group of schools worked on were chosen by the schools themselves and based on a detailed audit of languages teaching in their own teaching school alliance. Schools also took into account the recommendations of the 2011 Ofsted report Modern languages: achievement and challenge 2007–2010 . All projects have involved staff working at many different levels across the school(s) including Specialist Leaders of Education (SLEs) and headteachers. This publication contains examples of the projects across a wide range of themes which are relevant to the effective teaching of languages. The schools involved in the DfE-funded Languages Support Programme1 are keen to share their learning as widely as possible and hope that you find something in this collection of case studies which might also be of interest to you in your own teaching context. Every case study includes contact details for the school and teachers involved. March 2013 1 This publication has been produced as part of the Languages Support Programme, funded by the DfE and managed by CfBT Education Trust. The responsibility for content creation and quality assurance lies with the individual teaching school alliance. Languages Support Programme Schools supporting excellence in languages Action research Action research The Ofsted report on Modern Languages, Achievement and challenge 2007-2010, highlighted ‘a successful and relentless focus on raising standards in languages’ as a key feature of outstanding provision. The report recommended that secondary schools broaden approaches to teaching and learning, stating that ‘good or outstanding departments often encouraged innovation’. Systematic and cross-departmental approaches, based on ‘good use of “student voice” and other types of evidence’ led to improvements in teaching. Ofsted stressed the importance of good professional development, noting that where teachers had few opportunities to update themselves in subject work, teaching was weaker. Teaching school alliances (TSAs) recognise the importance of evidence in informing action to develop teaching performance and have used action research as an effective way of investigating and achieving improvements. In one TSA, the programme lead’s own action research in the classroom combined with workshops for colleagues across the alliance to develop a collaborative approach to professional development. In several TSAs, action research focused on the motivation and engagement of students in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, and its findings were used to inform the creation of challenging and engaging units of work on the topics of film, storytelling, reading for pleasure and intercultural understanding. One TSA chose to focus its research on a project involving primary to secondary school transition, with innovative work on adapting the Year 7 curriculum to improve teaching and learning in oracy. Across the board, action research encouraged teachers to explore leading practice in their own schools and nationally, to take quantitative and qualitative measurements, and to gauge impact on students. In one example, a TSA researched spontaneous use of the target language and worked closely with PGCE trainees from a local university to look at the impact of developing students’ questioning skills. The application of action research methods has encouraged teachers to take risks, to look beyond their own practice and to refine what they do. Many TSAs commented on the benefits of working together with colleagues, especially in cross-phase partnerships. They gained skills in measuring and analysing attainment and progress. In this sectio

FAQs

How were the projects in this publication selected?

Each teaching school or alliance chose topics based on a detailed audit of languages teaching in its own alliance, also considering recommendations from the 2011 Ofsted report Modern languages: achievement and challenge 2007–2010.

What role does action research play in the teaching school alliances?

Teaching school alliances use action research to investigate and achieve improvements in teaching performance, including classroom work, workshops, evidence gathering, and measuring impacts on students.

What kinds of themes are covered by the case studies?

Case studies span a wide range of themes relevant to effective languages teaching, such as student motivation and engagement in Key Stage 3 and 4, units on film and storytelling, reading for pleasure, intercultural understanding, and primary-to-secondary transition and oracy.

Aug 29, 2026

Upload by Đào