Two local schools are to become 'lead hubs' for a drive to boost the number of pupils who learn modern foreign languages. The government's Language Hubs programme aims to increase the number who study languages to GCSE and beyond.

Sidney Stringer Academy in Coventry and Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby are among 15 schools from across the country to be selected for the project. The government says they will engage with schools to improve their languages offer and ensure more effective transition from key stage 2 to key stage 3. There will also be a drive to increase the popularity of learning German.

The lead hubs will also make sure that pupils aged 14 to 18 from all backgrounds have the opportunity to study languages through to key stage 5. The Department for Education says that well as increasing opportunities among disadvantaged pupils to study languages, the programme will also increase access to home, heritage and community languages for students.

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It will include a "German Promotion Project" to raise the profile of learning German in schools, led by the Goethe-Institut. It will involve increasing the number of schools that offer German, as well as championing learning the subject.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "Young people who are confident in a second language are at a huge advantage in life. On top of the social and cultural advantages it provides, there are many economic benefits of learning another language.

"That is why I have long called for more pupils to consider studying languages such as German at GCSE. As Lead Language Hubs, these schools will help equip local teachers with the necessary training and knowledge to support pupils looking to do so”.

The programme is being supported by £14.9 million over the next three years and will be managed by the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE), comprising UCL, the British Council and the Goethe-Institute. An initial 15 schools from regions across the country have been selected as Lead Language Hubs to join the NCLE’s Centre for Excellence.

The hubs will begin their support to schools from this September. A further ten schools are also set to be selected in a second recruitment round in January.

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