Introduction
Multilingual children often develop multiple languages simultaneously. Studies show that maintaining and further developing children’s home languages and other languages they know results in greater cognitive flexibility and stronger academic performance.
With this mind, children of GCSE age often benefit from taking an additional GCSE in their home language. These exams can also celebrate multilingualism, as well as supporting your multilingual children to feel included in your school and giving them the opportunity to gain an additional valuable GCSE.
These GCSEs are the similar format to other standard language GCSE your school is likely to be administering, such as Spanish and German. Edexcel and AQA are the most common exam boards for home language GCSEs and can be taken either as a higher or foundation examination, of which there are 4 papers to complete.
We will shortly also be offering academies a package to include consultancy and a subscription to EDEAS connect – a subscription only access hub for expert resources, guidance and community support for schools and settings. Please visit this page again or sign up to our EDEAS newsletter.
How EDEAS can support you with Home language GCSEs
EDEAS reviews its offer for supporting Home language GCSEs annually. EDEAS ensures the Bilingual support workers who conduct this support have L3 in Interpreting and translations, L2 in Safeguarding and are trained in Home language GCSEs.
For the Summer 2026 EDEAS are able to support with Arabic, Polish, Mandarin, Cantonese (as part of Chinese GCSE), Portuguese and Russian GCSEs only. Please return to this page annually for an updated language list that we can support with.
All support for Home language GCSEs is chargeable for all schools, including maintained schools.
- Online Home language GCSE preparation sessions
Schools can purchase 2hrs (1 session, £158 + VAT), 3hrs (2 sessions, £191 + VAT) or 6hrs (3 sessions, £318 + VAT) of online preparation sessions. This is Bilingual support worker time which can be allocated to your school.
During these sessions, children will be able to practice aspects of the Home language GCSE using sample and past papers. These sessions can have up to 4 children who are taking the same Home language GCSE and it is the schools responsibility to ensure children have access to technology, including Teams for the sessions.
Please complete a booking request form and in the additional comments section at the end, include that this booking request is for online Home language GCSE preparation sessions.
- Paper 2 Speaking in April/May– Conversational/role play support only
Paper 2 comprises of tasks that require conversations/role play in the chosen language. This is similar to an English Speaking and listening task. Your exams officer will need to ensure there is a professional who speaks the chosen language to support this paper. Only communication in the chosen language will be assessed for marks.
The EDEAS Bilingual support worker will arrive at your school and will require 20-30mins in a room on their own to prepare using the teacher’s booklet, provided for the exam. The Bilingual support worker will then facilitate the conversational/role play aspects of this exam with the child only. During booking you can state your preferred time and day, however, please note that this may not be possible and alternative dates maybe provided.
You will need to book and there is a cost of £119 per pupil. If due to delays due to the school this exceeds an 1hr, the school will be invoiced for the subsequent time in blocks of hours.
Your schools’ responsibilities
- Ensure all other papers are administered within the same examination period, as outlined by the exam boards guidance.
- It is your school’s responsibility to enter the student for the exam within the timescales, which are provided by the exam board.
- Ensure you have booked a Bilingual support worker/interpreter and have viewed the service agreement.
- Ensure reception staff are aware of the Bilingual support workers arrival and school instructions.
- Ensure a quiet room is booked and the Teacher’s booklet is present for the Bilingual support worker on arrival.
- Ensure a school appointed invigilator is present during paper 2, including the child’s preparation time.
- Ensure that the school has the appropriate recording device and records the paper 2 assessment – ensure the invigilator knows how to confidently record the session. Ensure that the speaking exam has been recorded appropriately and send the recording to the exam board. EDEAS do no record sessions, and this is the sole responsibility of the school.
- Make sure you have the paperwork ready for the Bilingual support worker to sign on the day of the exam – please ensure that you print all paperwork provided by the exam board so the teacher can fill in the tasks and sign on the day of the exam. You may also need to provide a centre declaration form – please check with the exam board which paperwork is required for outside examiners.