Head of Department: Dr Tardelli / Dr Mawford

At Barclay Academy, all KS3 students learn Latin. The subject has experienced a dramatic decline in British schools in the last 100 years, and as such, has developed a reputation of elitism. We believe this is an unfair label, and perceive the benefits of the study of Latin should be opened to a wider range of students. Students will develop their literacy and grammar skills, will be exposed a number of classical texts, and will begin to understand the way in which classical Latin has infiltrated the modern world (for example, in abbreviations such as p.s. or a.m. / p.m., or in the stories and figures from classical mythology and literature). Latin helps to nurture students’ skills of rigour, precision, resilience, problem-solving, analysis, and communication, and therefore is a highly-regarded and challenging, but greatly rewarding, subject that is valued by universities and employers. Studying Latin helps to put our students on a more level-footing with their privately-educated peers, and we hope that they develop genuine enthusiasm for, and enjoyment in, the subject.

KS3

At KS3, our students study our bespoke Latin course, written and provided by Future Academies. Our curriculum is distinctive for its emphasis on regular retrieval practice and its focus on cumulatively building up students’ knowledge over time. It provides a carefully sequenced progression model that bolsters all students’ understanding of the foundations of Latin and enables them to make excellent progress. We teach Latin on the principle that student’s best experience and progress in the subject of when cultural interest is combined with grammatical and linguistic precision. Students will build up a strong understanding of Latin vocabulary and grammar, as well as studying key moments in the Classical period, including Roman life and culture, the Homeric Epics, and Rome’s international relationships in the late-Republican era.

KS4 

At KS4, our students are taught in line with the Eduqas specification. Alongside the further development of their language skills, students also have the opportunity to engage in more detailed study of a particular aspect of the Roman world, examining and analysing a range of sources. Learners also read their first original Latin texts, studying extracts from a variety of authors with a focus on a particular theme. This allows students the opportunity to become acquainted with different styles of writing and different outlooks and opinions. Students develop close literary analysis skills and also the broader analysis skills that allow them to use literary texts as sources through which they can deepen their understanding of the ancient world. 

KS5 

At KS5, our students develop an even deeper understanding of the Romans through the study of their language. Students are introduced to prose composition for the first time; the more detailed understanding of grammar and syntax which this requires helps them to advance their unseen translation skills. Learners study four literature texts in depth across the two years, offering students an opportunity to delve into the social, political and historical context of each text, rather than looking at them in isolation. Students further develop their analysis skills, both in terms of close literary analysis and broader thematic analysis of whole texts. We aim for our students to develop analytical and evaluative skills, which enable them to become independent and proactive learners and for them to develop the ability to communicate their arguments in a coherent, convincing way.

The Latin Excellence Programme

Building upon the successes of the Latin Department, in September 2022 Barclay Academy joined the prestigious Latin Excellence Programme, a 4-year Department for Education national initiative aimed at developing and supporting Latin and Classics departments in state maintained schools. Working closely with our Centre for Latin Excellence, Barclay Academy continues to successfully deliver Latin to all pupils, registering one of the highest state sector GCSE uptakes in the country.

Being part of the Latin Excellence Programme enables Barclay Academy to receive:

• Funding: this comes directly from the DfE and is intended to support teacher time, administration and printing costs, and bursary costs to support enrichment for students eligible for Pupil Premium
• Enrichment: throughout the life of the programme, all our pupils will benefit from activities and trips. This includes summer residential in the UK and international trips to places of interest, specifically Greece and Italy
• Expert support: our teachers receive dedicated support from expert practitioners, who provide guidance, feedback and training
• Training: our teachers receive regular, high-quality CPD for teaching Latin in the state sector, closely aligned with the ECF and NPQs.

We are extremely excited to be part of the Latin Excellence Programme and look forward to further developing Latin at Barclay in a sustainable and prosperous way.

Any enquiry about the Programme should be directed, in the first instance, to our Lead Teacher, Dr Claudia Tardelli at c.tardelli@barclay.futureacademies.org.

More on the Centre for Latin Excellence https://latinexcellence.org/