Minimus Club

Year 12 Channing student volunteers work with Year 6 pupils from Brookfield Primary School and St Joseph’s at Brookfield Primary School to help them learn Latin, understand how languages work and boost their self-confidence.

Aims

To create a pathway for Brookfield and St Joseph’s pupils to learn Latin in an environment where learning is seen as fun and goes beyond the classroom. Learning Latin helps students to understand how languages, particularly Romance languages work. We also support those students to build their confidence.  For our Sixth Form volunteers the aim is to help develop their communication, social and leadership skills.

Background

This is a new initiative which started in Autumn 2021.  Through Channing’s partnership with Highgate Newtown Community Partners (HNCP) and Brookfield Primary School, and St Joseph’s Primary School, a discussion was held regarding ‘Education +’.  We wanted to develop academic enrichment for students, particularly those who may not otherwise be able to participate in extra curricular clubs (in particular Pupil Premium pupils). The impact of Covid lockdowns meant that some children needed to rebuild their confidence and extend those skills that were not directly related to the curriculum.

Resources

The school provides funds for Channing Yr 12 volunteers to walk to Brookfield Nursery and Primary School where the Year 6 pupils from Brookfield and St Joseph’s are provided with a snack before the Year 12 volunteers deliver lessons on Latin. The ‘Minimus’ textbooks by Barbara Bell were bought by the Classics Department at Channing and are used in this club. 

Impact

St. Joseph’s has asked whether Minimus will continue next year and students at Brookfield have said that they would like to take Latin as a subject at secondary school. The Year 5 and 6 students developed an understanding of Latin which included vocabulary, verb and adjective forms and Roman myths. They were able to translate stories and explain stories such as Medusa. 

The Year 12 students have learned to teach and enthuse students about the subject. They had not met this particular course before and so have become familiar with the lives of Romans at Vindolanda in Britain. Two of Year 12 students are A Level Latin students and they have benefited from thinking through the essentials of Latin in order to be able to explain them coherently to the Year 6 students. The third Year 12 student has enjoyed continuing with Latin past GCSE. All the students have gained experience in communication, creativity and working with younger students.  

Pupil Involvement

The club involves a group of 3 Year 12 volunteers and one Classics Teacher who supervises but the Year 12 volunteers plan the lesson. They work alongside groups of Year 6 pupils. 

Frequency

This is a weekly activity which is 45 minutes in length.