An Alvaston academy teacher has been awarded for her exceptional teaching of Latin lessons for Year 7, 8 and 9 students.
Claire Wingfield, a teacher at Noel-Baker Academy, part of L.E.A.D. Academies Trust, received commendation from Classics for All for her work to bring weekly Latin lessons to life, as she was selected from over 175 schools in the region to win the award for the East Midlands.
Classics for All is a national charity offering state school teachers flexible support to introduce or enhance a classical subject such as Latin, classical mythology, or Roman Britain to their curriculum.
Claire’s nomination came as a result of her work with Dr Jane Ainsworth, Classics for All’s Regional Co-ordinator in the East Midlands, based at the University of Leicester’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History who has helped Claire to develop the Latin curriculum. Dr Ainsworth has also delivered a talk during Careers Week about working as an archaeologist to help broaden the students’ horizons and encourage them to consider a future career in the sector.
All Key Stage 3 students (Years 7, 8 and 9) at Noel-Baker Academy receive a Latin lesson each week, focusing on enhancing their language skills, whilst learning more about the ancient world and its history. Noel-Baker Academy’s most recent Ofsted inspection report highlights how students “use their knowledge of Latin to help them understand other subjects, such as science and English.”
The lessons in Latin also further support language learning in other subject areas of focus at Noel-Baker Academy, including Spanish and French – both of which are available for students to study at GCSE.
The academy had originally been inspired and supported by Alison Henshaw, one of Classics for All’s team of trainers, to implement the subject into the curriculum. She also helped to develop and train staff at the academy. Alison is also a local guide leader, where she has been drumming up excitement amongst her guides to start Latin at Noel-Baker next academic year.
Photo L-R: Jo Hobbs MBE, Chief Executive Classics for All; Claire Wingfield, Teacher Noel-Baker Academy; Jimmy Mulville Chairman of Classics for All
“Claire has done a wonderful job of leading on our classics programme. We’re very proud of her and her achievement at the Classics for All awards, not only demonstrating her own hard work, but also that of our students.
“As highlighted in our Ofsted inspection report, learning Latin has so many benefits for our students; not only adding another string to their bow in terms of languages, but also in supporting their understanding of other subjects such as science, English and history. At Noel-Baker Academy, we’re committed to providing our students with every means to thrive and realise their full potential.”
“Claire was the outstanding candidate for this year’s regional award and it is wonderful to be able to showcase the hard work that she has put in at our national award ceremony. She has demonstrated how Latin can be made accessible, relevant, and enjoyable for students across the school and has made Noel-Baker Academy a beacon for classical learning for all schools across the East Midlands and beyond.
“It has been fantastic to work with Claire and the students at Noel-Baker Academy – their enthusiasm and curiosity has been remarkable. I’m excited to continue to work with Claire and the team to ensure that more students at the school – and across the region – can enjoy everything the classical world has to offer, hopefully inspiring the next generation of scholars, archaeologists and historians with even more opportunities in the future.”
