Curriculum Intention
At Harper Bell, we believe studying a Latin curriculum will benefit our children greatly. Our Latin curriculum is progressive, encourages children to develop a love for languages and etymology, enriching and most importantly inclusive of all pupils.
We all understand the importance of phonics, the systematic study of the English letters and their sounds. However, phonics only covers part of our complex language, the English part, and those traditional concrete words that children learn to speak and read first.
Our aspirations are a fundamental part of our curriculum design and we feel that Latin is a gateway for children to develop social mobility and heighten their opportunities in finding a university education.
Curriculum Implementation
Children are introduced to Latin from Year 3 and receive a weekly 1-hour lesson, throughout their time in KS2. This starting part enables our children to develop early language acquisition skills, basic Latin grammar rules for pronouns and verbs and an introduction into spoken Latin.
Our Latin curriculum is progressive and sequenced so that children further embed the fundamental principles of Latin as a language and build new learning as each lesson is completed.
Curriculum Impact
Our children will develop a deepened understanding of etymology; whilst extending their vocabulary and grammatical knowledge to ensure high proficiency in translation skills. This will enhance our children’s understanding of English, modern foreign languages and improve their writing.
"multo excellentius"
Our Languages Curriculum:
- The curriculum includes segments on Classical culture (e.g. mythology, everyday life) and on the Latin language.
- The Latin language component is designed specifically to support the grammar and syntax learning required at KS2, while bolstering literacy through an English-Latin etymological approach.
- The curriculum incorporates multi-modal learning and games, and is differentiated for all abilities.