Low participation in language learning in secondary education is a topic which continues to exercise education policy-makers in England and other anglophone contexts. One instance of an attempt to increase take-up can be found in the introduction of the EBacc, a performance measure which requires the majority of young people to study a language as part of a combination of 'core academic subjects'. This paper draws on longitudinal case-study research and adopts a policy enactment lens to consider the impact of the performance measure on participation in language learning. The findings suggest that an attempt to increase take-up through the EBacc, tied to high-stakes testing, is problematic. While the EBacc places renewed emphasis on languages in the 14-16 curriculum the research illustrates how competing policy requirements have, in some cases, perpetuated and exacerbated inequalities rather than leading to a democratisation of language learning. I conclude that there is still much to be done to raise confidence in languages education in English schools, and that the interrelated tensions and contradictions made transparent in this research need to be addressed at national and regional levels, as well as locally to secure participation for all young people in a meaningful and inclusive languages education.