Latin Tuition at Cokethorpe School for Henry Box Pupils

It was brought to the attention of the Classics Department at Cokethorpe School that Henry Box School (HBS) would no longer be providing Latin as a subject to study. Initially Cokethorpe offered to provide Latin to any Year 9 pupils that wished to pursue Latin but the offering evolved to also providing tuition for A-level students.

The result is that HBS pupils are able to pursue Latin through to both GCSE and A Level and it is likely that this relationship will continue to grow in years to come. For as long as HBS is unable to provide Latin in its own timetable, Cokethorpe’s resources will be available to facilitate learning for those HBS students that wish to use them.

Aims

The aim of the project is to provide Latin tuition to Year 9 and above pupils from Henry Box School (HBS) at Cokethorpe School so that pupils who wish to pursue Latin can do so whilst there is no provision at HBS.

HBS previously offered Latin but when the Latin teacher left they have not been replaced. It is unclear if or when HBS will appoint a new Latin teacher and so the intention is that this project will run for as long as it is has demand.

The pupils at HBS will benefit from this project as they will have access to Latin as an academic subject and the opportunity to gain GCSE and A Level qualifications in the subject. The study of Latin also supports many other subjects and the knowledge will add to the pupils ‘all-round’ education.

Cokethorpe’s own pupils will also benefit from exchanging knowledge and learning from peers that have studied in a different place and in a different way. A shared, improved and dynamic learning environment will inevitably have a positive effect on the experience of students from Cokethorpe and HBS.

Background

The Head of Classics at Cokethorpe is in regular communication with other teachers of the subject in the surrounding area. It is through the relationship with the departing HBS Latin teacher that the need to provide assistance was first identified and the project scoped into a partnership arrangement.

It is a belief of the Classics Department that the learning of Latin should not be the preserve of the wealthy and should be accessible to all. For as long as HBS is unable to provide Latin in its own timetable, Cokethorpe’s own resources will be available to facilitate learning for those HBS students that wish to use them.

Resources

The only resources required for the project are the Cokethorpe’s Classics classroom and its two teachers, providing tuition on a regular basis to both the Year 9 and Year 12 students. Neither student is making a financial contribution. There are two Year 9 lessons per fortnight and ten Year 12 lessons per fortnight.

Impact

Each student takes regular tests that are designed to assess their progress towards the standards required for top grades at A Level and GCSE. These assessments are carried out at least three times per term.

It is too early to determine a predicted GCSE grade for the Year 9 student. The A Level student should be aiming for an A/A* overall.

Pupil Involvement

Although it had been the intention to integrate the Year 9 student into a Year 9 class at Cokethorpe, this has proved impossible due to timetabling difficulties. The Year 12 student, however, takes part in a number of lessons that also include the A Level candidates from Cokethorpe. This has, as suggested above, led to measurable benefits in the performance of both sets of students.

Frequency

The project will continue on this basis for as long as the students wish to continue with their study of Latin, and does not preclude the possibility that there will be more Latinists from HBS wishing to take the subject on at Cokethorpe.