HL Deb 16 April 1996 vol 571 cc63-4WA
Baroness Hayman

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How they intend to assess whether bilingual projects promote high standards in the curriculum subjects involved; and in particular, whether they intend to use normal GCSEs in the assessment process.

Lord Henley

Ofsted registered inspectors evaluate and report on the ways in which modern foreign languages and other subjects are taught in schools. In so doing they may refer specifically to bilingual projects, where they encounter them in the normal course of school inspections, but we have no plans to assess them otherwise.

Baroness Hayman

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to Lord Henley's Written Answers on 2nd April (H.L. Deb., col. WA 23 and 24), how many of the 16 schools specialising in language teaching plan to start teaching other curriculum subjects in the medium of a foreign language.

Lord Henley

Of the 16 schools so far approved as Language Colleges, two have bilingual sections. Goff s School, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire offers Geography through French to Year 8 pupils. From September 1997 the school intends to extend its bilingual teaching to offer Geographical and Cultural studies through German to Year 9 pupils. Arrangements have yet to be finalised.

Presdale's School, Ware, Hertfordshire intends to offer IT through French to Year 7 pupils from September 1996.