Hadrian in Hiding?

This chapter investigates why the North East of England, a region rich in Greek and Roman cultural assets, experiences the greatest ‘Classics poverty’ in England ( Hunt and Holmes-Henderson, 2021 ). Arbeia Roman Fort, Corbridge, Vindolanda, Carrawburgh, Housesteads, Binchester, Chesters, Segedunum and the Great North Museum welcome teachers, learners and members of the community to explore how life in the North East has been influenced by ancient civilisations. These heritage and cultural organisations host special events for families, teacher training days and school workshops. Why, then, do so few young people in this region study classical subjects at school? Holmes-Henderson and Hope share new data from the Department for Education which illuminates the teaching of Latin, Ancient Greek, Classical Civilisation and Ancient History in secondary schools in the North East, with accompanying analysis of cohort size and school type. Through interviews with headteachers in primary and secondary schools, teachers of classical (and non-classical subjects), young people and parents in the North East, the authors identify the barriers which prevent schools from including or expanding classical subjects in their curriculum. The chapter ends with a set of recommendations for local, regional and national stakeholders to reduce the Classics gap between the North East and the rest of England.