Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to promote the study of classical languages in state sector schools.

To encourage the study of classics in state schools in England, the Department launched a £3.9 million Latin Excellence Programme (LEP) in September 2022. The LEP is delivered by the National Centre of Excellence and run by Future Academies, which is a multi academy trust based in London.

The aim of the LEP is to improve pupils’ attainment through increased access to, and uptake of, a GCSE in Latin, whilst also contributing to pupils’ broader classics education. The National Centre of Excellence works with 40 schools across the country to support high quality Key Stage 3 and 4 teaching, using a common curriculum which teachers will be trained to deliver by the Centre.