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In the first tranche of 2016 grants to schools CfA awarded c.£100,000 to develop classics teaching in over 90 state schools across the UK. This brings the total number of schools supported by CfA to over 450, covering 40 counties. We were particularly pleased to gain inroads in new areas including Durham and Exeter and in Wales, where there are ambitious plans for work in partnership with Swansea University. Our Grants Adviser Hilary Hodgson has had great success in developing several more regional classics hubs, thanks to the efforts of a number of classics ‘champions’ – we expect to see these flourish over the coming years.
Your donations are making all of this work possible and we are most grateful to you all. In this newsletter we list the names of our Centurions and above who have donated to CfA between March 2015 and February 2016. We now have nearly 200 Centurions supporting our campaign to champion Classics in state schools by giving us £100 a year or more. You will also see over 30 Praetorians giving over £1,000 a year, six Senators giving over £5,000 and three Consuls giving over £10,000 a year to Classics for All’s grant programme. The total amount donated by individuals increased 28% in the past year; our active supporters now number over 300, with two-thirds giving regularly. This was complemented by a 42% increase in income from trusts and foundations (including family charitable trusts). As you can see, we are on a strong upward path which with your help we plan to continue.
This positive momentum is all down to Jules and Hilary and their recruitment of equally enthusiastic supporters, teachers and volunteers.
It has been my consistent theme that few causes are more important than educating our children, and for anyone concerned about our schools and the way the UK educates its children, CfA is THE charity to support. Please join us if you haven’t already, and if you have please continue to be generous.
In March we announced that on 30 June I would stand down as CfA's Chairman and I am delighted that Geoffrey de Jager will take over. In 2013 when I was invited to chair CfA, I accepted on the understanding that I would do so for no more than two to three years. I am proud of what CfA has achieved in that time. We have seen step changes in the funds raised, in the numbers and enthusiasm of our donors, and above all in the number and variety of schools benefiting from our grants, all underpinned by transformed organisational arrangements. It is now the moment for CfA to raise its sights further and Geoffrey is just the person to lead that. I look forward to continuing on the Board and giving him and CfA all the help I can.
Nicholas Barber CBE
Chairman
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The North East Classics Hub is based at Heaton Manor, an inner city non-selective school in Newcastle.
For a few years prior to the establishment of the Hub, Latin was introduced at the school as an extra-curricular option. The students were so enthusiastic about the subject that the school decided to introduce classics to the timetable and to support the introduction of Latin at other schools in the North East.
Following generous grants from Classics for All and Friends of Classics, Heaton Manor was able to recruit a full-time Classics specialist and this year, for the first time, GCSEs in Latin and Classical Civilisation and an A level in Classics have been offered to students in Years 10 and Year 12 . Latin and Classical Greek also continue to be offered as extra-curricular subjects.
“As Headteacher of Heaton Manor school I firmly believe the lives of children are enhanced through the study of Classics...†(Lynne Ackland, Headteacher, Heaton Manor School).
Read a full case study with quotes from pupils, teachers and head teachers
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In January 2016, the CfA’s sixth annual funding round attracted 26 applications from state schools across the UK keen to introduce classical subjects to the curriculum. At the March Board meeting, Trustees awarded circa £100k to support work in 93 primary and secondary schools, bringing the total number of schools funded by CfA since its launch to over 450.
CfA’s profile in England continues to grow with new shoots of regional interest in Blackpool, Bristol, Cumbria, Durham and Exeter, areas where CfA currently has a low profile. Although the proposed level of activity in these areas is modest, we hope to scale it up over time, as we have done in other places including Manchester, Newcastle and Birmingham. These cities now boast thriving regional hubs which champion Classics, offering opportunities for groups of teachers to train and share practice locally.
Although CfA’s national presence is increasing, our geographical profile remains patchy and we are keen to establish roots in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and rural areas where there are clear barriers to Classis development. With this in mind, we are pleased to have recently launched a classics hub in Wales following discussions with Swansea University and education representatives from the Welsh Assembly. This will lead training for teachers in primary and secondary schools across Wales, extending the number of schools teaching Classics from 30 to 50 over the next few years.
In Scotland, where the absence of training for Classics teachers is a clear impediment to the revival of Classics in schools, we are working with partners at Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews Universities to get Classics back on the teacher training agenda; as part of this we recently ran a session at the Classical Association conference in Edinburgh, which laid foundations for future developments.
This year we welcomed a sharp rise in applications for work in primary schools, particularly in England where the introduction of Latin as part of the Key Stage 2 Modern Foreign Language curriculum has boosted take-up of ancient languages. In response to this, we have created a group of regional trainers to train teachers to take on Latin. Our experience suggests that the growing appetite for Latin in primary schools is built, in part, on its value as a foundation for learning Modern Foreign Languages and its role in supporting and improving literacy.
As readers may be aware, in 2014 Classics for All was granted funding to support the development of Classics teaching in state schools in the capital by the London Schools Excellence Fund. Through this programme we are proud to have developed the teaching of Classics in 40 schools across the capital. With legacy funding from the London Schools Excellence Fund we are now setting up schools- based training centres which will continue CfA’s London-based work once the project is over, including one at St Marylebone’s School in Westminster.
We remain aware of the need to build further demand for CfA’s funding and are strengthening links with local authorities and school chains to help get the message out. We have also introduced more flexibility to our grant-making by considering applications throughout the year.
List of grantees (first tranche) here. The second tranche of funding will be listed in our autumn newsletter. Visit our website to see our full grants directory.
Hilary Hodgson,
Grants Adviser
grants@classicsforall.org.uk
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The Trustees of Classics for All (CfA) have appointed Geoffrey de Jager, currently a Trustee, to succeed Nicholas Barber as CfA's next Chairman. The appointment will take effect on 1 July 2016. Nicholas Barber will remain a Trustee. Geoffrey de Jager says “I am a great admirer of CfA, its principles and its goals, and I am proud to take on the role of Chairman. I believe we can build on Nicholas' significant achievements and continue to create something of real value.â€
Read more here.
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Our annual fundraising lecture, 'End of the Roman empire: a mirror for our times?', with Tom Holland on 13 June, is an excellent way for us to introduce our charity’s recent work and make new friends and supporters. It will be held in the striking venue of the Royal Society, and the theme of migration that Tom Holland promises to address could not be more topical. I hope you will come if you can, and also help us to spread the word. Tickets are still available as this goes to press, but will be going fast – visit our Eventbrite page to book.
This event is supported by Principal Sponsors Nicholas Barber CBE, Matthew Craston and Jonathan Rushworth, and by Corporate Principal Sponsor West Hill Capital.
Save the date – 10 November 2016: Dr Peter Jones will deliver a talk on ‘From angina to rheumatism: Ancient medical terminology and practice’ as the first in an annual series of Friends of Classics Memorial Lectures.
The lectures put on by Friends of Classics were classed as seminars rather than monologues. The atmosphere was relaxed, and interruptions, objections and questions were welcome throughout, indeed encouraged. Bonus points were added for stumping the speaker. Tickets will be available soon – please email events@classicsforall.org.uk to receive details when they are published.
Our Lawyers Group of supporters hold several events each year; if you work in the legal world, do consider joining (visit our web page for details). Previous talks have featured Rt Hon Sir John Laws, Rt Hon Sir Rupert Jackson and Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls.
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This bumper newsletter celebrates recent grants and the donors who have made grants possible; both have grown in scale over the last year.
The recent marriage of Friends of Classics to CfA is bringing a new influx of Centurion donors, as is the expanding Lawyers Group who take out an annual subscription in support of CfA. Both are contributing to the numbers of Centurions as we continue our quest to find 1,000 Centurions giving £100+ each year.
As term time draws to a close we are encouraged by the number of queries from teachers looking for ways to put Classics into their schools next year. This is when we turn to you to be generous and respond to the rising demand on our grant funds. Hilary Hodgson reports a number of potential new ‘classics hot spots’ in her grants programme report, and each one will require tailored support to help it take root and expand.
If you are curious about where your money goes, please visit our case studies from schools around the UK – every story is different, but the quotes from teachers, pupils and parents resonate with a similar message: pupils enjoy classics, teachers are adding a new dimension to their own expertise, and schools that offer it tell us about the value it brings across the curriculum.
Jules Mann, Executive Director
Telephone (mobile): 07809 256839
E-mail: jules@classicsforall.org.uk
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Many of you have no doubt visited the Classics Library, a terrific resource for news, teaching resources and jobs in teaching Classics, managed by Stephen Jenkin.
Resources for teachers abound and the very useful calendar is filled with Summer Schools on classical subjects for pupils, teachers and adults.
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We value each and every donor who supports the cause of bringing Classics into state schools. We wouldn’t be where we are today without each one of you.
A very big thank you for your role in helping us to develop CfA’s grant programme that so successfully enriches the education of increasing numbers of pupils in our state schools. Please visit our Donors page to see this year’s acknowledgements.
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We would love to see your name on next year’s donor list - it makes such a difference when we can count on your donation year after year, so consider a direct debit or pledge for annual giving. Whatever your level of support, it is very welcome. It’s easy to make a secure donation online or post a cheque to Classics for All, 51 Achilles Road, London NW6 1DZ.
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About us
Trustees
Nicholas Barber CBE, Chairman; Christopher A Clarke, Hon Treasurer; Jeannie Cohen; Geoffrey de Jager (incoming Chairman from 1 July 2016); Carolyn Foreman; Professor Thomas Harrison; Deborah Hughes; Sarah Jackson OBE; Professor David Langslow
Adviser Dr Peter Jones
Executive Director Jules Mann
Grants Team Hilary Hodgson, Grants Adviser; James Murray
Patrons
Professor Mary Beard OBE; Lord Butler of Brockwell; Professor Paul Cartledge; Colin Dexter OBE; Lord Dyson, Master of the Rolls; Professor Pat Easterling; Michael Fallon MP; Lord Faulkner of Worcester; Tony Harrison; Natalie Haynes; Charlotte Higgins; Ian Hislop; Tom Holland; Bettany Hughes; Boris Johnson; Martha Kearney; Joanna Lumley OBE FRGS; Stuart Lyons CBE; Professor Christopher Pelling; Lord Stevenson of Coddenham; Sir Tom Stoppard CBE
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Classics for All is a Registered Charity (Number 1135379) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (Number 7182949)
Registered in England and Wales
Contact General: Telephone: 0845 601 3739 |
Email: contact@classicsforall.org.uk
With thanks to TRUE212 for our website and newsletter design.
www.classicsforall.org.uk
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