International Newcastle is delighted to promote the first ever Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Network for schools in Newcastle. This has been set up and will be co-ordinated by Newcastle City Council’s Education Department, with a teacher as the lead, as part of the Newcastle City of Languages initiative.
In this article you can find out more about the Network from teacher, Alex Reid Milligan, the MFL Network Lead and MFL teachers can sign up with Sarah Edgar, who is co-ordinating the Network on behalf of the City Council.
The MFL Network for Schools launched on 14 January 2021. Schools can register with sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
Why a Newcastle network for language teachers?
This new MFL network is the first of its kind in Newcastle. Other subject networks exist for schools and have proved popular and effective.
The City Council’s Education Department currently provides regular updates and offers from the Newcastle City of Languages partnership and others through the dedicated Services for Schools MFL and international webpage and through e-newsletters to schools. They have also been instrumental in establishing this new network for MFL teachers.
By creating a network, which any MFL teacher can join, language teachers will be enable to discuss, explore and communicate directly with each other (and with language partners and experts who can provide support). We hope that this will be the most effective way of supporting schools and have a positive impact on teachers, schools and pupils.
Ambitions for the MFL Network
Teachers will help shape the MFL network as it develops. Initial thinking about the purpose of the MFL Network is that it will:
- Support schools and MFL teachers in Newcastle in enhancing the teaching and learning of languages
- Provide a space for teachers to meet and discuss their language teaching experiences, share achievements and ideas and also highlight any gaps and challenges to be addressed
- Link teachers and schools to resources, advice and support available through our Newcastle City of Languages network of local, regional, national and international partners
- Promote language learning and its wider benefits to help increase the take up of languages in schools
- Support the transition of language learning from primary to secondary schools and also promote higher level language learning and intercultural exchanges
- Help achieve schools’ outcomes across the curriculum – from languages, to PHSE, citizenship, art, music, the performing arts and ensuring children develop a global perspective.
Newcastle’s MFL Network lead
Alex Reid Milligan from Throckley Primary School in Newcastle has stepped up to be the schools lead for the MFL Network.
Alex is enthusiastic about the potential for the Network to both support schools in their teaching of languages and create new opportunities for pupils to have the best language experiences possible.
‘What a fantastic time to bring together the abundance of talent, resources and passionate practitioners in and around the city. As a more optimistic year approaches, I am incredibly excited to unite MFL teachers in Newcastle.
I cannot wait to see how we can combine the very best of all worlds to forge a city rich in language experience and learning.’
Alex Reid Milligan
How MFL teachers can get involved
All state sector schools in Newcastle have already been invited to join the MFL Network and many are already signing up to get involved. Just register with Sarah Edgar at Newcastle City Council (Education) to join.
Email: sarah.edgar@newcastle.gov.uk
I am pleased with the positive responses received from teachers so far. We envisage the network meetings will take place once a term, if you would like to join the network, email me.
Sarah Edgar, Education, Newcastle City Council
How our partnership can support the MFL Network
Newcastle City of Languages is part of the Our Newcastle Our World international city plan and an evolving partnership of local, regional, national and international partners that are helping build internationalism and intercultural relations in the city and enhance our links to the world.
The partnership of language providers, experts and institutions, which has evolved around Newcastle City of Languages, is keen to provide as much support to schools as possible and to promote, support and celebrate language teaching and learning.
There is a wealth of resources on offer to schools from partners through the sharing of language teaching/learning resources, events, training and development opportunities for language teachers, support from our language and cultural partners and opportunities for links with partner schools in other countries.
I am delighted that this MFL Network has been set up – it provides a great opportunity to link the huge range of resources and opportunities that are coming through Newcastle City of Languages partners to the schools and to learn from teachers about what they need, to help fill any gaps and also to profile the achievements of the schools and pupils.
As the UK nears the end of the transition period for leaving the EU, it is even more important that young people have language skills, but also the confidence, interpersonal and intercultural skills that stem from learning languages and interacting with young people in different countries. This will stand them in good stead for future learning, training and employment opportunities and these experiences can be both life-enhancing and life changing.
We stand ready to help schools and the MFL network with support for language learning and teaching, but also with international links and support to develop, embed and enhance these links and provide opportunities for international and intercultural relationships and collaboration.
Declan Baharini, Director, International Newcastle
Find out more about Our Newcastle Our World
Our Newcastle Our World is an international city plan, providing a framework to develop our international outlook, relations and partnerships.
We have started developing a Newcastle Internationalism Alliance to support these ambitions and have three key strands of work on our priority theme of ‘Newcastle as an international city for our children and young people (0-30) as confident, global citizens.’
Download a summary of the 2020-22 Our Newcastle Our World work programme showing the key plans for our children and young people theme and how Newcastle City of Languages fits in with our other key strands, Connecting Internationally and Internationalism in the City.