Why inner-city youngsters are learning Latin again

Latin is making a comeback in inner-city schools, it has emerged.

Twenty primaries and secondaries in some of London's toughest areas have introduced lessons to improve pupils' literacy.

Teachers say the classes are already helping youngsters who are non-native English speakers.

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The Iris Project, named after the messenger-goddess in Roman mythology, was so successful in trials at two of the capital's primary schools last year that it has been extended to 18 more.

The scheme - which will benefit 750 pupils this year - is the brainchild of Dr Lorna Robinson, a former teacher at the public school Wellington College.

She set it up in "frustration" that state schools were being denied the chance to benefit from Latin lessons.

Her experiment began at Benthal Primary in Hackney, where she has been teaching for the past year, and a primary in Kilburn.

"Latin is perceived as being just for the privileged," Dr Robinson said.

"In fact, you can look at the roots of Latin words and see how English words have been made.

"It really helps pupils struggling to learn English and spelling."

Children learn the language - which was in use more than 2,000 years ago - through activities such as word cards.

Latin was sidelined on state school timetables following the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1988. In that year, more than 16,000 pupils took the subject at GCSE.