At St. Christopher's we have chosen to teach Latin because of the rich opportunities that come with learning this ancient language. As well as being a fascinating language in its own right, knowledge of Latin helps to develop literacy skills. Through Latin, children develop their knowledge of spelling and vocabulary through learning Latin roots of English words and deepen their understanding of grammar. Alongside language learning, the study of Roman and Greek civilisations aids cultural literacy, encourages cultural insights and gives opportunities for wide-ranging thinking across many linked subjects (including history, art, maths and science).
The national curriculum for languages aims to ensure that all pupils:
At St. Christopher's we deliver on the above aims through our Latin programme across Years 3 - 6. As Latin is still new to St. Christopher's, all year groups will begin at the start of the curriculum and will build up over future years. Children receive weekly Latin lessons that include both language learning and classics (study of Ancient Rome and Greece), enabling them to make progress in the language. Lessons provide a balance of spoken and written language, enabling children to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing. The focus is to provide a foundation for reading comprehension and an appreciation of classical civilisation.
Through our Latin curriculum we aim to ensure the pupils have the opportunity to meet the national curriculum requirements as follows:
Each unit of work includes recapping of prior learning and finishes with a summary and assessment lesson. Low stakes quizzing is used throughout the units for retrieval practice and assessment.