First Language Qualifications
First-Language Modern Foreign Language Qualification Entry Policy
At Wellington, we offer first-language GCSE modern foreign language qualification entry and support our pupils through the provision of a centre in which these qualifications may take place. We cannot facilitate A Level entry however beyond our curriculum offer of French, German and Spanish.
There are a number of factors to be considered when putting your child forward for a first-language qualification which are detailed below and that fall beyond the remit of the School. The onus is on the pupil and their parents/carers to engage and prepare for any assessment and examinations although the School will support with administrative guidance, entry and centre-provision.
Modern Languages Qualifications Available:
Firstly, below are detailed the range of GCSE modern foreign language qualifications available to pupils nationally. It is important that parents/carers and pupils have determined which qualification they would like to apply for upon the initial ‘Interest’ enquiry:
GCSE
Pearson EdExcel offer the broadest range of qualifications: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/subjects/languages.html
They offer GCSEs in Arabic, Biblical Hebrew, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Italian, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Urdu.
AQA offer GCSEs in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Bengali, Urdu, Modern Hebrew, Chinese (Spoken Mandarin) and Panjabi: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/languages
WJEC offer GCSEs in French, German, Spanish and Welsh Language and Welsh Literature: https://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/
Timeframes and Entries:
As a School, we enter first-language qualification pupils in Year 10 only for GCSE
The rationale for this is as follows:
- Pupils are of an age where they have enough cultural and wider understanding of the qualification’s content.
- Pupils are better-placed to navigate the rubric of the examinations.
- There is an avoidance of conflict with pupils’ timetabled exam entries for their other subjects.
All pupils must be entered for their relevant GCSE by early February 2027 at the latest, ahead of the summer examinations.
Parents/carers must indicate intent to enter their son/daughter for a qualification via the link below by Friday 16th October 2026 to Mrs D. Shields, Examinations Officer
Interest Form Link: https://forms.office.com/e/uwJ10aTtjC
Upon submitting interest, parents/carers will be directly contacted with information about the process, implications and requirements to facilitate the request, on the part of the pupil, parents/carers and the School. A response will be given within one week.
Entry information and deadlines will be shared with parents/carers and students accordingly by the Examinations Officer.
Given the large cohort of Cantonese and Mandarin speakers at the School, we will invite interest more formally in the Summer Term of Y9 ahead of entry in the Summer of Year 10.
Parents/carers should direct any further communications to Mrs D. Shields, Examinations Officer via the School’s admin e-mail: admin@wellington.trafford.sch.uk.
Expectations of Parents/Carers and Pupils:
- Parents are expected to indicate interest in applying for their child to complete a GCSE or A Level Modern Foreign Languages qualification by Friday 16th October 2026 so that students have sufficient time to prepare for the qualification and so that the School can facilitate it.
- It is the responsibility of the pupil studying for the qualification to access the relevant specification and past paper revision support for themselves. Support from School cannot be given for subjects taught outside the School’s curriculum; some support can be provided for subjects taught at the School (French, German and Spanish).
- Payment is required by parents/carers for the following to facilitate the examinations:
Exam entry
Examiner fee for an examiner who is qualified in the relevant language
Invigilation fees where applicable
These costs will be detailed by the Examinations Officer as confirmed.
- A Level Modern Languages’ qualifications do also require further overseeing and assessment by an examiner as they feature typically a research study requirement. Details of this will be shared by the Examinations Officer but will require time and input from the pupil studying the qualification.
Please submit any other queries to Mrs D. Shields, Examinations Officer via the School’s admin e-mail admin@wellington.trafford.sch.uk.
For more information regarding the Schools’ EAL policy please click on the following link: