Welsh language GCSE entries rise for second year as French, Spanish recover

Language learning in Wales has stopped falling at GCSE level, but the recovery is narrow and the pipeline above age 16 is still fraying. French entries rose for a second consecutive year, from 2,126 in 2024 to 2,269 in 2025, while Spanish bounced back from 1,359 to 1,591. British Council Wales called the gains “tentative signs of recovery” after more than a decade of decline.

The numbers matter because the rebound is not yet broad-based. German A-level entries fell by 32% to 42 in 2025 and could disappear from A-level altogether within three years if current trends continue. Two-fifths of secondary schools reported no post-16 language provision, and two-thirds said they cancel GCSE language classes when numbers are too low, a pattern that hits less affluent areas hardest. That creates a structural problem for Wales: more pupils may be starting languages, but too few are being carried through to the stage where language skills become an academic and economic asset.

Primary schools are showing a different picture. More than 80% now teach an international language, double the 2022 figure, according to British Council Wales. Yet the gains are being held back by staff proficiency and limited curriculum time, which leaves many pupils with only a thin foundation before they move into secondary school.

Estyn’s 2025 thematic report said international languages are now part of the Curriculum for Wales, but teaching quality and curriculum design remain inconsistent. It also said the transition from primary to secondary is weak, while uptake at GCSE and A level remains low. The Welsh Government said the last comparable Estyn review was in 2016, before Curriculum for Wales was rolled out, underlining how much the system has changed without solving the continuity problem.

The government response said learners usually enjoy language learning at an early age, but interest drops as they get older because some pupils do not see it as relevant and some believe learning Welsh is enough as an additional language. That leaves ministers trying to balance Cymraeg 2050, which aims to increase the number of Welsh speakers by 2050, with the need for broader international language skills in schools, colleges and the labour market. For now, Wales has a recovery in entries, not yet a secure revival.