Teachers at Belle Vue Girls School in Bradford see the increased emphasis on languages at primary level as both a danger and an opportunity.
With 70 per cent of pupils starting to learn languages before Year 7, the danger lies with higher-attaining pupils becoming bored when material is repeated. The opportunity is for teachers to build on language knowledge and fast-track more able pupils.
Tests are devised to assess pupil knowledge and determine setting. The programme also looks at differentiation techniques within sets and examines some of the time-table challenges that the idea throws up.
