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Toby Young's Latin lessons vision could lead to chain
Anna Davis, Education Correspondent10 Jan 2012
A free school where Latin is compulsory and teachers wear black gowns could become the first in a chain across London.
Author Toby Young, who opened the West London Free School in Hammersmith in September, plans to open a primary school next year and said there were "compelling reasons" to launch even more.
The primary would become part of the oversubscribed secondary free school, creating an "all-through" school which pupils join aged four.
Mr Young said a chain could reap economies of scale, share best practice and pool resources such as playing fields. "It makes a great deal of sense," he said. "The idea of providing a classical, liberal education regardless of background and ability has proved extremely popular."
If approved, the primary would have 60 children initially and the curriculum could include compulsory violin lessons. Mr Young said: "The educational reason for having an all-through school is that the children are going to be easier to teach and will benefit more from a classical education if they start from the age of four, especially if they are from disadvantaged backgrounds."
He added: "The vision is to offer the kind of education that children would typically receive at the country's very best prep schools, but make it available to all." He said there have been 1,074 applications already for the 120 places available at the secondary school next year.
Reader views (10)
How refreshing, if a 'soupcon' autocratic, that Hammersmith's Free School stipulates pupils have to Study LATIN. An Entre to Horticulture, Sciences, EUROPEAN lANGUAGES - Italian et al. The lack of enthusiasm in the U.K. for an ability to speak another language, rather than 'Vicky Pollard/Gordon Ramsay/textspeak' has accelerated the general slide in literacy and conversational intelligibility. Amo LATIN.
- Christopher Crowdy, Chelsea S W 3, 12/01/2012 12:53
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Toby
Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris.
- Jimmy, Camden Town, 11/01/2012 18:08
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Yet another tedious and tiresome article from d'Ancona. More to the point, has he got anything to offer other than blind faith in his old etonian and oxford friend, Cameron. light the fire and get the toast out. I guess once a fag always a fag Eh Matthew.
- Jimmy, Camden Town, 11/01/2012 17:49
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What is the latin for 'tool', Toby?
- Bloke, Lambeth, 11/01/2012 15:34
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@ Mikkiduk
I have an open mind on academies. I think that there are advantages and disadvantages to them. Some have been successful and some have been a disaster. I think you have to look at each one on its own merits. My concern about academies is about their funding. Local Authority School X is being told by Gove 'Sorry, School X, I know you have the same number of students this year as last and you want to offer the same curriculum, but there's a new academy opening up down the road so I'm going to take away some of your money to help fund that academy'. That is totally unethical and that is what I object to. Is that so unreasonable?
- Jonathan, Harrow, 11/01/2012 15:15
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I think the facts speak for themselves - 1,074 applications already for the 120 places. Regardless of all the posturing from teachers and the anti-academy brigade it looks like the parents are voting with their feet.
I remember being told once that goverment was "by the people for the people", and if this is what people want then lets give it to them.
- Mikkiduk, Hackney, London, 11/01/2012 12:34
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I think the problem with Free Schools, like the problem with the bribes for state schools for becoming academies, is that that their funding has to come from somewhere. And that 'somewhere' is from the funding of state schools which are not free schools or academies. In short, political ideology will starve state schools of their funding so that eventually they will have no choice but to become an academy. It's the same thing as the 1960s when grammar and secondary schools were forced to become comprehensives. The only difference is that then schools were not punished financially by refusing to follow ruling party dictat. It is political interference gone mad. Will it raise standards? No. How do I know? Because I have been a teacher for 35 years and I know that the relentless politicisation of the curriculum has dumbed downed standards and that the only way to reverse that trend is give control over the curriculum back to teachers. I know that that might be a revolutionary leap too far for some to contemplate but think of it like giving control of hospitals back to doctors and control over law and order to police officers and it might make some sense to you. (If it is doesn't then you are beyond help).
- Jonathan, Harrow, 10/01/2012 20:02
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'Where's your homework?''My book's a'tome, sir'. Love Latin!
- Philip, London, 10/01/2012 14:26
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So chris, london, what are you doing to improve access to education in this country?
- Ruth, London, UK, 10/01/2012 13:45
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If Toby spent more time listening to his dad we might have something better.
- chris, london, 10/01/2012 13:35
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