The Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) is delivered by UCL Institute of Education (IOE) in partnership with the British Council. The innovative language programme is now in its tenth year and has helped thousands of school pupils in England learn Mandarin Chinese benefitting from a more intensive language learning programme.
The programme exceeded its initial target of seeing at least 5,000 pupils in England on track towards fluency in the language by 2020. That number has exceeded 16,000 in 2025. The programme has had a positive impact on the supply of Mandarin teachers, by increasing the number of opportunities for teaching practice.
Mandarin Chinese opens up a world of opportunity – as the most spoken language in the world, it can connect speakers with an exciting and dynamic culture as well as boost career opportunities. Mandarin has been identified as one of the most important languages for the UK’s future prosperity, so now marks the perfect time to help students in your school be on track for fluency.
MEP schools are at the forefront of delivering this programme, with funding available for state-funded secondary schools across England. Support is provided throughout by the IOE and the British Council. MEP schools also work with other schools on the programme, sharing both ideas and resources.
What does the programme involve?
All students on the Mandarin Excellence Programme receive three hours of teacher-taught classroom lessons each week. This contributes towards a programme of six hours of study per week, which consists of a combination of teacher taught classroom lessons, after-school teaching, self-study and intensive study courses (in China and the UK).
It is expected that MEP schools will continue to support the growth of Mandarin in the curriculum beyond the funded project lifespan and pupils will be expected to be on track to complete their GCSE/A Level (or equivalent e.g. HSK level 4 and 5).
Click here to find out more about joining the Mandarin Excellence Programme.
More information about the programme:
The programme also aims to:
- train a sufficient number of teachers to support the programme;
- embed effective, sustainable teaching practices that will continue to increase the number of pupils studying Mandarin beyond the life of the programme;
- give pupils an immersive experience of China through digital media and visits to China for some pupils.
Click here to read the most recent MEP Independent Evaluation Report.
To find out more about the programme please contact us at mandarinexcellence@ucl.ac.uk.
Click here to read about the Mandarin Excellence Programme in 中文.
