Guidance

GCSE French, German and Spanish subject content

Subject content, aims and learning objectives for French, German and Spanish GCSEs from 2024.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

These documents set out the learning outcomes and content coverage required for GCSE specifications in French, German and Spanish for first teaching in September 2024 and for the first examination in summer 2026.

The document ‘French, German and Spanish GCSE subject content’ contains all the content that is in the document ‘French, German and Spanish GCSE subject content without annexes D and E’ plus the content in annexes D and E.

In November 2019, the Department for Education announced that it would be convening an independent expert panel to test and develop potential changes to the subject content for French, German and Spanish GCSEs.

The panel’s recommendations were subject to a 10-week public consultation between March 2021 and May 2021 and the government has now published its response to the consultation.

Ofqual has also published its response to their consultation on proposed assessment arrangements.

Subject content for all GCSEs in modern foreign languages other than French, German and Spanish for teaching from September 2024 and examination from summer 2026 is also available.

Published 14 January 2022
Last updated 20 February 2023 + show all updates
  1. We have provided grammar annexes D and E in spreadsheet format for accessibility and there are some minor updates as described in the 'Table of changes from May 2022'.

  2. Added an updated version of 'GCSE French, German and Spanish subject content' to amend the cognate definition and the wording relating to multi-word phrases. Minor amendments have also been made to the grammar annexes and Annex E.

  3. First published.