ABOUT US
The Centre for Latin Excellence was established in 2022 by the curriculum centre at Future Academies, a successful multi-academy trust in London and Hertfordshire. With over a decade of experience in curriculum design, the curriculum centre specialises in supporting schools to introduce high-quality and fully resourced curriculum programmes into the classroom in a sustainable and evidence-informed way.
Future Academies’ curriculum centre is the leading front-line provider for Latin in state schools in England.
We are unique for the emphasis we place on Latin, with all our schools introducing 100 minutes per week at Key Stage 3. Over the last six years, as more secondary schools have joined our trust, we have developed an excellent support programme to introduce Latin sustainably and at pace in some of the most disadvantaged areas of England. Our schools’ target GCSE recruitment is between 25% and 40% of the cohort and, in our lead school, more than 75% of pupils achieve grade 7 or above: we perform exceptionally well in terms of GCSE entries, progress, and achievement.
We have learnt from over a decade of experience. Our curriculum centre has developed a fully resourced curriculum for our non-selective state schools, including textbooks. We take an evidence-led approach to curriculum design to ensure every student is supported to excel in studying Latin. Our approach carefully breaks down a coherent body of core knowledge, cumulatively sequences it for mastery, and trains teachers to use whole-class, direct instruction. Our work with Oak National Academy means we have an unrivalled repository of online lessons and curriculum materials with which schools across England have engaged.
We are supported by our Ofsted-Outstanding SCITT, which has trained over 30 Latin teachers from leading universities. We offer a complete and subject-specific CPD package for Latin teachers based around building ‘the habits’ of highly effective Latin teaching, which is linked to our curriculum and based on cognitive science.
We listen to our students and teachers, ensuring that feedback from the classroom informs our approach. Over six years, we have developed a tight and highly collaborative network of Latin teachers, many of whom have trained within our group. In addition to this, our schools regularly survey students and organise student voice sessions, where students highlight how much they enjoy the subject.
LATIN EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME TEAM
Our team consists of a balance between educational expertise and operational delivery.
Programme Director: Charles Furber
Charlie leads the strategic work of the Centre for Latin Excellence and works with school leaders to ensure the programme meets its aims.
Charlie has led Classics at Future Academies since January 2017. Over six years, he has produced an entirely bespoke and inclusive curriculum suited to the demands of the state sector and he has championed the impact of direct instruction in the classroom. Charlie’s approach to Latin is motivated by the desire for equal access to the study of Latin across the education sector. As Future Academies has grown, so too has Charlie’s role. As Trust Lead, he has transformed students’ and parents’ views of Latin and ensured it is one of the most popular and successful subjects across Future Academies’ ten schools. Charlie has worked closely with the Ofsted-Outstanding SCITT, Future Teacher Training, to define and develop a Classics training route to support the sustainable growth of Latin in the trust. During the coronavirus pandemic, Charlie was seconded to Oak National Academy and much of his Key Stage 3 and 4 curriculum can be found online for free, for all students across the country.
Lead Teachers: Sophie Evans, Lauren Patrick, Claudia Tardelli
Our team of Expert Practitioners are experienced teachers with a strong track record of success in the classroom alongside the skills to drive teacher development and support school leadership with the smooth running of the programme. They visit participating schools at least once per term, provide bespoke virtual support to teachers, deliver CPD every 6 weeks, and teach their own classes for the rest of the week.
Programme Management: Emma Palmer
Emma is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Centre, managing the operational delivery and administrative success of the programme.