The Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust (BHCET) proudly celebrated the European Day of Languages, embracing this year’s official theme: “Languages open hearts and minds.”

The European Day of Languages provided a unique opportunity to showcase the power of language learning to connect people, broaden horizons, and foster empathy across cultures. BHCET remained committed to “putting languages on the map” and ensuring every member of its school communities experienced the joy of languages in action.

Highlights of the day included:

  • Cultural Menus: Catering teams across the Trust created special menus inspired by French and Spanish-speaking countries, with support from Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) departments who translated the menus into French and Spanish.
  • Classroom Connections: Teachers across all subjects joined in the celebrations by greeting students in different languages at the start and end of lessons, giving pupils a taste of the linguistic diversity across Europe and beyond.
  • Prayers in Many Voices: Pastoral teams invited students from different national backgrounds to lead prayers in their home languages, either live or via recordings, celebrating the diversity within our school communities.
  • Trust-wide Poster Competition: Pupils were encouraged to design posters bringing to life the European Day of Languages 25th anniversary motto, “Languages open hearts and minds!” Winning entries from each school received prizes, and the most creative designs will be showcased in future celebrations of the International Day of Languages. Entries were submitted by 5th October 2025 via each school’s MFL Lead.

As part of the celebrations, St. John’s Catholic School & Sixth Form College officially launched its Languages 4 Life Programme—a unique study enrichment opportunity for Sixth Form students and staff. This initiative allows participants to study any language at any level, whether to enhance their skills, gain a qualification, or prepare for a trip or placement abroad.

Dr. Penny Johnson from Durham University’s MLAC department is supporting the programme by providing contact with native speakers, online tutorials, taster sessions, and bespoke Teams workshops in a variety of languages. The theme of this year’s European Day of Languages—“Languages open hearts and minds”—was fully embraced by the Languages 4 Life Programme.

Together, the initiative aims to build a community where language learning is not just about exams or grades, but about connection, curiosity, and celebrating the many voices of our world. With many Sixth Form students preparing for prestigious university places, apprenticeships, and employment opportunities, the programme is designed to give them a competitive edge and broaden their horizons immeasurably.

Sarah Marshall, Director of MFL for BHCET, said: "It has been wonderful to see our pupils and staff across BHCET experience a range of languages and cultures on a day designed to celebrate diversity and open hearts and minds."

BHCET was thrilled to see schools across the Trust come together to celebrate the many ways that languages can truly open hearts and minds.