The North West Regional Language Network – comprising the Kinder, Etherow, and Lakes Language Networks – is pleased to announce the launch of Language Fest North West.
This is a new month-long festival designed to bring exciting language-focused opportunities to schools, teachers, and pupils across the region.
Taking place between February 5 and February 27, 2026, the free festival will feature a series of events, competitions, and professional development opportunities aimed at strengthening language learning and showcasing the importance of languages in education and beyond.
Language Fest North West is the first festival of its kind in the region, uniting schools, universities, exam boards, businesses, and cultural partners in a programme designed to motivate students and support teachers through shared insight, collaboration, and innovative practice.
A key highlight of the festival is the flagship teacher event, Transforming the Future of Language Teaching, held on Thursday, February 5, 2026 at The Chairman’s Club at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, Manchester.
This event will bring together secondary language teachers from across the North West for an afternoon of keynote talks, networking opportunities, and updates from national language education projects.
Teachers will hear from Bernardette Holmes MBE, as well as representatives from the three North West Language Networks, who will share insights from their National Priority Projects.
Michelle Massey, Head of German at The Blue Coat CofE School, Oldham, added: “Our teacher launch event at the Etihad Stadium will be a fantastic opportunity for colleagues to hear directly from national leaders and project teams.
“We hope the festival will inspire teachers and give them ideas and resources they can take straight back into their classrooms.”
Speaking about the festival, Catherine Woodward, Trust MFL Lead for Cranmer Education Trust said: “Language Fest North West will provide schools with a rich range of opportunities to celebrate languages and promote high-quality teaching and learning.
"The festival creates time and space for teachers and pupils to engage with languages in new and motivating ways.”
Throughout the month, participating organisations will also host a variety of competitions and events exclusively for North West schools.
Resource packs, registration details, and full event information will be made available via the Language Fest North West website, with further announcements planned for December and January.
The festival website will also host a range of additional support, including resources for HHCL examinations, information on national language initiatives, and a direct link to Language Educators Online (LEO) – NCLE’s free online professional development platform.
Language Fest North West is supported by the National Consortium for Languages Education (NCLE).
NCLE is funded by the Department for Education and delivered by University College London’s Institute of Education, the British Council, and the Goethe-Institut.
Further updates about Language Fest North West will be shared over the coming weeks. Schools and teachers wishing to stay informed or register for events are encouraged to the visit the festival website and sign up for updates. https://tinyurl.com/LangFestNW26
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