Following a pilot scheme in one Hackney primary school, the subject will be on the timetable of 10 primaries in the borough from this September. There are also discussions about teaching it at the new Bridge academy, which will open the same month.

The courses are being organised and designed by the Iris project, a classics outreach programme which aims to promote access to the subject in state schools.

It ran a course for two Year 5 classes at Benthal primary this year, where pupils carried out investigations into grammar and the origin of English words.

Other primaries approached the project and asked for lessons to be run in their schools too.

“Other teachers have given very positive feedback, saying it has made the children more interested in language,” said Lorna Robinson, who runs the scheme.

She is holding discussions with Cambridge university about funding for the expanded project after it provided money when it was in just one school.

* www.irismagazine.org