Languages and your family in Sydney: the second language your kids will meet

Moving from Manchester to Manly, you'd think language is the one thing you don't have to worry about. Mostly you'd be right, but NSW schools still expect every child to study another language, and Sydney is one of the most multilingual cities on earth.

The short version

• Every NSW student must complete 100 hours of study in one language between Years 7 and 10, preferably in Years 7–8, over one continuous 12-month period, to get the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) [1].
• Community languages schools teach more than 60 languages to children from Kindergarten to Year 12 outside school hours, run by not-for-profit groups and supported by the NSW Department of Education [2].
• Newly arrived high-school-age children whose first language isn't English can join an Intensive English Centre for up to three terms, if they apply within six months of arriving [3].
• A partner whose first language isn't English may be able to join the free Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), with free childcare during classes for children under school age [4].
• English tests for Australian visas changed on 7 August 2025: IELTS, PTE Academic, C1 Advanced and several others are on the approved list, but fully online or at-home versions aren't accepted [5].

The second language at school: 100 hours in Years 7–10

There's no single "second language" in Sydney the way there's Irish in Dublin or French in Toronto. What NSW has instead is a requirement. The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) says students must complete a mandatory 100 hours of language study to qualify for the RoSA, the credential students get when they leave school after Year 10 or before finishing the Higher School Certificate (HSC) [1]. NESA's 2023 notice spells it out: the 100 hours should be done in Years 7–10, preferably in Years 7–8, in one language, over one continuous 12-month period [1].

Which language depends on the school, and the choice can be anything from a European language to an Asian or community language, so ask when you visit. Some primary schools teach a language too, but that's up to each school, not a statewide rule.

What this means for a British family

• Arriving in primary school: easy. Your child will most likely do their 100 hours in Year 7 alongside everyone else.
• Arriving in Year 7 or 8: still fine. Ask which language the class is studying and when the 100 hours are timetabled, so your child doesn't miss half the block.
• Arriving in Year 9 or 10: this is where it gets a bit of a faff. Ask the school straight away how it will make sure your child meets the requirement. A child who did French or Spanish at Key Stage 3 back home may have a head start if the school offers the same language.
• HSC languages: languages are optional in Years 11 and 12. If your child wants to carry on with a language from home, or a heritage language, the school and community languages schools are the places to ask.

A child who did a modern foreign language at a UK secondary has done this sort of thing before. The difference is that in NSW the choice of language is the school's, not the national curriculum's.

Community languages: keeping the family language alive

Sydney is full of Saturday schools. The community languages schools in NSW teach more than 60 languages, from Kindergarten to Year 12, outside school hours [2]. Not-for-profit community organisations run them, often in public school classrooms, and the Department of Education supports the programme [2]. They're aimed at children learning a heritage or background language, to keep it going across the generations, but some also take children learning a language for the first time, and some help students preparing for the HSC [2].

If yours is a bilingual family, say a British dad and a Polish, Greek, Hindi-speaking or Brazilian mum, this is the cheapest way to make sure the kids keep the second language once English takes over at school (and it will). Use the department's "Find a language school" search to see what runs near you [2].

When English is the second language

Not every British family speaks only English at home. If your child's first language is something else, or you're a blended family that's just arrived, NSW public schools offer support for students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).

For high-school-age children who need intensive help, there are Intensive English Centres (IECs) attached to government high schools, plus the Intensive English High School [3]. They give intensive English tuition and help with settling in, to prepare students for a NSW high school [3]. The rules:

1. Apply within six months of arriving in Australia [3].
2. Most students stay up to three terms; students with special needs can stay up to four, and an extra term may be granted in special circumstances [3].
3. Children on an approved temporary visa can be eligible, but must enrol through DE International and have an authority to enrol before starting. Fees may apply for some visa types; visitor visas of three months or less aren't eligible [3].

Year 6 students can sometimes move to an IEC to get ready for high school the following year [3].

Keeping English strong for the whole family

Partners whose first language isn't English

If your partner grew up speaking another language, Sydney has better free help than most places. The Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) is a free service for eligible migrants [4]. You can usually join at 18 or over if you have little or no English and you're a permanent resident, hold an eligible temporary visa, or are a citizen who once held an eligible visa; 15 to 17-year-olds may be able to join too [4]. Partner visa holders should check the department's list of eligible temporary visas [4].

Time limits matter. For visas that started after 1 October 2020, you have to register within six months, start within 12 months and finish within five years, though exceptions may apply [4]. There's free childcare during classes for children under school age, distance learning with teacher support and a free self-paced option called AMEPOnline [4].

English tests for visas

Many Australian visas need proof of English. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the Department of Home Affairs accepts IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, PTE Academic, C1 Advanced (one of the Cambridge English Qualifications), the Occupational English Test, TOEFL iBT (registered as "Taking TOEFL for Australia"), CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and the Michigan English Test [5]. Fully online or at-home versions, such as IELTS Online, don't count [5].

Some passports are treated as evidence of English without a test; the list is in a legislative instrument, LIN 25/016 [5]. Check the page for your exact visa before booking a test, because the required score and the passport rules differ from visa to visa.

Professional English

A partner with good everyday English may still want help with job interviews, emails and meetings, or with exams for professional registration. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals, for example, often take the Occupational English Test. For children who already speak another language, Cambridge English Qualifications such as A2 Key, B1 Preliminary and B2 First give them a recognised certificate along the way.

The options at a glance

Your first steps

1. Ask at enrolment which language the school teaches for the 100 hours and when [1].
2. Search for a community languages school if you want to keep a family language going [2].
3. Book an IEC place within six months if your teenager needs intensive English [3].
4. Check AMEP eligibility early so a partner doesn't miss the registration window [4].

Other parents are the best source of tips on which schools teach which languages; our community group for Brits in Australia is a good place to ask.

If you'd rather learn with a live teacher online, our language partner is below.

Sources

1. NESA: Mandatory curriculum requirements for the RoSA (official notice 35/23, 15 December 2023)
2. NSW Department of Education: About community languages schools
3. NSW Department of Education: Intensive English Centres
4. Department of Home Affairs: About the AMEP
5. Department of Home Affairs: English language requirements
6. NESA ACE manual: Record of School Achievement curriculum – languages

Keep reading

• Schools in Sydney: British and international schools
• Partner visas in Australia for Brits with an Aussie partner
• Moving to Sydney as a Brit
• Registering a child born abroad and British citizenship by descent