Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the studying of Classics in state schools in England and Wales.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

To encourage the study of classics in state schools in England, the department has launched the new £3.9 million Latin Excellence Programme (LEP), beginning in September 2022. The LEP will be delivered by the National Centre of Excellence and run by Future Academies, a multi-academy trust based in London.

The aim of the LEP is to improve pupils’ attainment through increased access to, and uptake of, GCSE in Latin, whilst also contributing to pupils’ broader classics education. The National Centre of Excellence will work with up to 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.