Latin to be introduced at 40 secondary schools

Latin is to be taught at schools across England in an effort to counter the subject’s reputation as one that is “elitist” and largely at private schools. Here at Tutors & Exams, we offer more than 25 languages, of which Latin is one. 

A £4m Department for Education (DfE) scheme for Latin will initially be rolled out across 40 schools as part of a four-year pilot programme for 11- to 16-year-olds starting in September 2022.

The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, said: “We know Latin has a reputation as an elitist subject which is only reserved for the privileged few. But the subject can bring so many benefits to young people, so I want to put an end to that divide.”

He added that there should be “no difference in what pupils learn at state schools and independent schools”, adding: “Which is why we have a relentless focus on raising school standards and ensuring all pupils study a broad, ambitious curriculum.”

Latin, Williamson said, can help students with learning other languages and other subjects such as maths and English. It is hoped that it will increase the number of students taking Latin at GCSE.

Foreign language lessons have been compulsory in primary schools from the age of seven since 2014, which can include an ancient language, but from age 11 schools must teach a modern foreign language which means ancient languages would have to be taught on top of that.

For more information on the languages we offer, take a look HERE.