The journey of excitement, discovery and connection that can be started when someone learns Latin is one that should be available to every pupil, wherever they live and whatever background they come from. As Latin is the root of English and many other languages, it is a valuable key to understanding and learning these, and it is a fun and fascinating subject for all children.

We run many different Latin projects in the UK state sector. We are the first organisation to run a scheme delivering Latin as part of the national literacy curriculum, and to focus especially on schools in deprived urban regions, where literacy levels are often low, and the subject may be a particular challenge for pupils. Through our projects we use storytelling, games and activities to introduce the nuts and bolts of Latin grammar, and to demonstrate the deep connections between Latin and English. In this way, we help to unlock the complexity of English and to instil a fascination for learning new languages.

The Literacy through Latin project runs in London, Oxford, Manchester, Reading, Swansea, Fife and Glasgow. It has recently been awarded the EU Language Label 2013 for innovative language teaching projects.

Since 2006, we have been running free Latin courses on the school curriculum at KS2 for state primary schools across the cities of London and Oxford. The courses are designed to support and enhance KS2 curriculum strategies across subjects, particularly focussing on literacy and linguistic skills.

By the end of a year course in Latin, as well as promoting effectively the KS2 requirements in English and others noted below, pupils will have a grasp of simple Latin, including:

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Latin is the root language for many other languages, and hence its introduction can facilitate language learning in many other languages, especially French, Spanish and Italian. The teaching of Latin involves an emphasis on grammatical training and linguistic analysis which provides a firm foundation for the learning of all other languages and particularly those languages which are directly linked to Latin. The main aim of teaching MFL is to develop children's linguistic competence. Lessons need to be regular and frequent so that previously learnt language can be reinforced and so that pupils can make good progress.

The Iris Project's Inner London Latin Project has been running since 2006 in the capital's state primary and secondary schools - offering pupils in large, mixed-ability classes the opportunity to learn about Latin in fun, accessible and relevant ways. Experienced volunteer teachers as well as student teachers from University College London Department of Greek and Latin and King's College London Department of Classics deliver a year long introductory course to year fives and sixes in inner London schools, which introduces Latin using activities and games, and offers a taste Classical myths and culture, using storytelling and drama.

The Iris Project, in association with the Oxford University Classics Outreach Scheme, runs Latin as part of literacy in Oxford primary schools, particularly focusing on schools in deprived regions of the city. The scheme has been running since 2006, and has worked with hundreds of pupils in more than thirty different local primary schools.

We are delighted to be teaming up with Swansea University to set up an expansion of our Literacy through Latin scheme in early 2012!

We are delighted to have teamed up with Reading University to set up an expansion of our Literacy through Latin scheme in 2012!

We are delighted to have teamed up with Manchester University to set up an expansion of our Literacy through Latin scheme in October 2012!

This school year, The Iris Project is launching a first-of-its kind project at Pegasus primary school in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, and St Saviours primary school in Brixton. For the school year 2012/13, these schools will receive Latin as part of the literacy curriculum for their year sixes using a brand new Latin course "Telling Tales in Latin" (due to be published by Souvenir Press in early 2013), which will lead to the pupils sitting the new OCR Entry Level Latin qualification. The pupils will receive Latin once a week for an hour as part of the school curriculum, and will sit the exam in the summer term. They will also complete a coursework assignment. This OCR pilot project is funded by "Classics for All". Latin at Pegasus school has been supported by "The Hamilton Trust" since 2009.

This will be the first time that state primary schools have learned Latin on the literacy time table towards an examination qualification. If successful, the scheme will be rolled out to pupils across the UK who are involved in The Iris Project's Literacy through Latin projects. The Literacy through Latin scheme has been serving state primary schools in London and Oxford's most deprived regions since 2006, offering thousands of pupils the opportunity to learn Latin as part of curriculum lessons. The Iris Project was the first organisation to run a scheme delivering Latin as part of the national literacy curriculum, and to focus especially on schools in deprived urban regions, where literacy levels are often low, and literacy skills may be a particular challenge for pupils. Through our projects we introduce the nuts and bolts of Latin grammar, and demonstrate the deep connections between Latin and English; in this way, we help to unlock the complexity of English and to instil a fascination for learning new languages. The scheme now runs in Swansea, Reading, Fife and Manchester too.

The effects of the Literacy through Latin scheme on KS2 literacy targets have already been recognised in the latest OFSTED report for St Saviours school in Brixton. The report states: “The school has a range of effective partnerships with external agencies, including the Iris Project, which, by teaching Year 5 pupils Latin, has made a strong contribution to those pupils’ improved writing.”

We are delighted to have teamed up with the University of St Andrews to set up an expansion of our Literacy through Latin scheme in 2012.

Latin students of the Department of Classics, as volunteers, teach Latin to pupils of several schools in the Fife area for one hour a week in the academic year. Latin is approached through the Iris Latin course (http://irisproject.org.uk/index.php/resources/latin/course), which introduces Latin in a fun and engaging way, through storytelling, games, and interaction, and with specific reference to linguistic skills in English. In the next school year, the project will be opened up to other local schools in the Fife area.

Applications for volunteers for this year are now closed. We will advertise in 2014 for the following year. Interested local schools are invited to get in touch.

We are delighted to announce that the Iris Literacy through Latin scheme has won the EU Language Label 2013 for innovative language teaching projects!

A judge visited St Saviours school in Brixton to see the project in action, and reported:

"This project provides an opportunity for young children to be introduced to Latin, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and who may not have the opportunity to find out about Latin at any other time of their school career.  The teaching I saw was excellent, based on an exciting programme designed by the Iris project.  In my long career (primary) I have not seen children identifying, analysing and discussing grammar at such a high level as I saw at St. Saviours.'"

The European Label is an award that encourages new initiatives in the field of teaching and learning languages, rewarding new techniques in language teaching, spreading the knowledge of their existence and thereby promoting good practice. The Label is open to all aspects of education and training, regardless of age or methods used, with its main focus being to promote innovation in language teaching. By supporting innovative projects, at a local and national level, the Label seeks to raise the standards of language teaching across Europe. Each year, the Label is awarded to the most innovative language learning projects in each country participating in the scheme. It is co-ordinated by the European Commission, but managed by the individual Member States, with national juries deciding on detailed criteria.

For more information, please visit http://ec.europa.eu/languages/european-language-label/index_en.htm