The Iris Project
The Iris Project is a registered educational charity promoting Classics in the United Kingdom, by running initiatives in state schools and communities, which give access to Classical subjects. It targets socially-excluded boroughs of inner London and schools with high numbers of disadvantaged children. It runs three major projects:
The Iris Project has been recently recognised by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. Read news story.
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Inner London Latin Project
The project has been running for over two years in the capital's state primary schools, offering pupils in large, mixed-ability classes the opportunity to learn about Latin in fun, accessible and relevant ways.
Student teachers from the Department of Classics at King's and UCL deliver a year-long course to years 5 and 6, introducing the language with activities and games as well as offering a taste of Classical myths and culture through storytelling and drama.
The project provides access to the fascinating subjects of Latin and Classics for hundreds of inner-city school children. It also enables undergraduate students to engage with local communities, gain experience and training in teaching, while also developing a range of other new skills.
For recent news and publicity, see the Iris website News page. For the experiences of previous student-teachers, see the Feedback page.
What commitment does it involve?
Students teach for one hour every week during each of the three university terms. This is contact time in the classroom and does not include travel to and from the schools. Students have the unique opportunity to attend training sessions run by the King's Department of Education & Professional Studies, one of only three education departments in the UK to offer PGCE training in Classics.
Over the course of the year students are given supervision in class and are supported by the project leaders and department liaison officers. Furthermore, lesson plans and worksheets are provided along with a selection of relevant activities and games. For more information, please see the Iris Course Introduction.
There are usually around 10-15 places per year for student teachers, who are in the 2nd and final years of their undergraduate course. If you are interested in taking part, please contact one of the following for further information: