Community engagement

Classics for All is a national charity with a mission to introduce and support the teaching of Latin and Classics on a sustainable basis in state schools.

Since its launch, the charity’s Manchester network has supported more than 30 schools in establishing Latin clubs and classes and in training their teachers. To date, we have reached more than 1,000 students and passed on our love for the study of the ancient world to them.

We believe that Latin and Classics are fun, inspiring and empowering subjects that everyone should have the opportunity to learn. They are useful for the help that they give with literacy and communication in English, the learning of modern foreign languages, and the understanding and mastery of scientific terminology – as well as fascinating subjects in their own right.

At Classics for All, we can provide:

• Continuous and specialist support for new teachers who want to teach classics
• CPD and additional training for teachers looking to develop their classics teaching
• One-off workshops and enrichment sessions, often run in collaboration with the department of Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology
• Help and support to introduce extra-curricular classics clubs and activities for schools looking to start their classics journey
• And much more besides.

If you are interested in finding out more, or would like to work with us, please contact the network coordinator Will Mundy at manchesterleedscfa@gmail.com

The Manchester network is run in partnership with the local branch of the Classical Association and is funded by the national charity Classics for All, with generous contributions also from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Archaeology has the potential to engage and positively impact local communities: recognition of this has led to the introduction of archaeology, and prehistory more specifically, into the Key Stage 2 curriculum.

However, many primary level teachers told us that they feel under-equipped to teach prehistory, as current resources are limited.

This project was established to take the expertise and cutting-edge prehistoric research produced by The University of Manchester, and formulate a suite of resources that would allow any Key Stage 2 teacher to produce teaching on the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age that is accurate, detailed, exciting, engaging and based on current archaeological knowledge. The project members (Dr Nick Overton, Dr John Piprani, Dr Hannah Cobb and Dr Elizabeth Healey), working closely with other archaeologists from the University, have developed resource packs that include:

• a digestible guide for teachers;
• a four-page graphic novelette setting some of the key themes of the period into a narrative (produced by artist and graphic novelist Tony Pickering);
• a collection of experimentally produced and 3D-printed replica artefacts;
• a suite of digital resources and classroom activities designed to connect with key themes of each period identified within the period guide, the graphic novelette and the artefacts.

To request a resource pack for your school, please contact Dr Nick Overton. You can also download the materials via the Prehistory to Primaries website.

Latin and Greek are among the languages offered to local primary and secondary schools in a scheme of taster sessions called Languages XP.

A university student appropriately trained and prepared visits the school for an introductory session to meet school teachers and pupils and to design the short programme, and then leads usually four sessions on agreed topics.

Watch David Langslow, Professor of Classics, introduce the Manchester Classics for All initiative.

Find out about our project to bring prehistoric artefacts into the classroom.