New GCSE draft specifications are out! What do I need to do?
Last week AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas published their new draft specifications for French, Spanish and German for first examination in 2026. This means that current Y8 and Y7 students will take the new exam. Many MFL teachers will have breathed a sigh of relief looking at the new sample assessment materials (SAMs) as they look very similar to what we currently do; we still have the 90 or 80-90 word and 150 or 130-150 word questions on the writing paper with clear bullet points (this time in English, hurray!) and in the speaking exam a role play and photo card activity which we’re very familiar with, again with the rubric in English, a cause for celebration.
Many people on social media are saying there’s no need to change what you’re doing, but I believe that there are some significant changes and a closer evaluation is needed to look at how we should change our teaching practice. In addition, the Ofsted MFL crib sheets and training materials have recently been circulated virtually, and these give a very clear steer about where MFL pedagogy should be moving towards.