Here’s the second in a series of brief round-ups for the end of 2025 for Classics Education in the UK

#2: State-maintained school entries for GCSE examination in England in 2025

First, some headline numbers.

I compiled these statistics from those publicly available from the Department for Education. Any errors are my own. If you use any of the information in this blog, please credit me.

The total number of entries for each subject is given in Figure 1 below.

The pie charts below (Figs. 2-5) indicate for each subject the proportion of entries from state-maintained schools and that from private schools.

Now for a look at where these schools are located in England.

I compiled these locations from those publicly available from the Department for Education. Any errors are my own.

GCSE Latin

For Latin GCSE, 266 state-maintained schools entered candidates. For a little more clarity, the map above omits schools which only entered one candidate for examination: I have made an assumption that these are private candidates entered in local schools and that this does not suggest that the school has a dedicated Latin offering (I am happy to be corrected). The map shows that the majority are clustered in London and the South East. Those in Kent, parts of London and the Home Counties may be in academically selective grammar schools, but this cannot account for all. There is a strong showing across the Midlands and central Northern England. However, there are many ‘cold spots’, especially in more rural areas.

GCSE Classical Greek

For Classical Greek GCSE, 27 state-maintained schools entered candidates. The map above shows all state-maintained schools which entered any candidate for Classical Greek in 2025. The distribution of schools centres firmly on London, with outposts in Essex, Cambridge and the NW (this last possibly as a result of strong and successful efforts by the charity Classics for All to offer Classical Greek as a Saturday school for anyone who wishes to join). The Essex schools have a long tradition of offering Classical Greek. May they continue! Cambridge unusually has a small number of state-maintained schools which dedicatedly offer Classical Greek.

My research indicates that 21 state-maintained schools in 2025 entered candidates for both GCSE Latin and for GCSE Classical Greek.

GCSE Classical Civilisation

For Classical Civilisation GCSE, 114 state-maintained schools entered candidates. The map above shows all state-maintained schools which entered any candidate for Classical Civilisation in 2025. As before, the majority of schools are based in London and the South East. It is often the case that schools which offer Latin in Key Stage 3 put on GCSE Classical Civilisation alongside GCSE Latin for those students who wish to continue their studies of the ancient world but in translation. The combination of GCSE Classical Civilisation and GCSE Latin in schools can make a Classics department more viable. The number of schools in the West Midlands and East Anglia is pleasing to note.

My research indicates that 45 state-maintained schools in 2025 entered candidates for both GCSE Latin and for GCSE Classical Civilisation.

GCSE Ancient History

For Ancient History GCSE, 59 state-maintained schools entered candidates. The distribution is similar to that of Classical Civilisation above (Fig. 8), but with fewer schools. As a subject it seems to be evenly distributed across England – but this perception may simply be because the sites are more visible. It is often the case that schools which offer Latin in Key Stage 3 put on GCSE Ancient History alongside GCSE Latin for those students who wish to continue their studies of the ancient world but in translation. The combination of GCSE Ancient History and GCSE Latin in schools can make a Classics department more viable.

My research indicates that 16 state-maintained schools in 2025 entered candidates for both GCSE Latin and for GCSE Ancient History.

Latin Excellence Programme

Finally, the Latin Excellence Programme ended over Christmas 2024-2025. It extended across 40 state-maintained schools in England. The location of these is shown above (Fig. 10). The Programme was successful in encouraging more state-maintained schools to begin offering Latin seriously. Not all of the schools indicated on the map entered students for GCSE Latin in 2025, as the locations date from 2024. The charity Classics for All is supporting some of the schools whose students were close to completing the GCSE in 2025-6 (see the article by Alice Case on p. 14 in Classics Matters for details). Some schools, it seems, will continue to offer GCSE Latin.

(c) Steven Hunt 31st December 2025