A unique museum embedded across Cheney School, using collections to enrich learning in all subject areas. Discover artifacts from the ancient world and beyond.
Visit Museum →A vibrant Classics learning venue at Cheney School for people of all ages to attend events, workshops, lessons, and exhibitions celebrating the ancient world.
Visit Centre →Opening doors to the classical world since 2006
The Iris Project is an educational charity introducing the languages and culture of the ancient world to UK state schools in order to enrich the curriculum. It was founded in the belief that the opportunity to learn about Classical languages, literature, histories and art should be made available to all, regardless of background, and that learning about these fascinating subjects can be a vital tool in promoting learning across the school curriculum in UK state schools. We run a wide range of initiatives in state schools across the country, focusing especially on children in socially excluded inner city regions, and we also run projects which introduce Classics to adults in city communities.
We are the first organisation to design and run a scheme which delivers Latin on the literacy curriculum in state primary schools, as well as to target our project at schools in deprived regions of the UK, where literacy levels are often low and many children are on free school meals. We have worked with thousands of pupils and hundreds of schools to improve literacy, confidence and enjoyment of language through our work.
We run a dedicated community classics centre, and also our Rumble Museum, both of which are based at Cheney School in Oxford.
A unique museum embedded across Cheney School in Oxford, using collections to enrich learning across all subject areas and connect students with the ancient world.
Visit Museum →Our vibrant Classics learning venue at Cheney School welcomes people of all ages for events, workshops, lessons, and exhibitions celebrating classical civilization.
Visit Centre →Our flagship program delivers Latin as part of the national literacy curriculum, demonstrating how classical languages strengthen English grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills.
Our flagship program bringing Latin to state schools
The journey of excitement, discovery and connection that can be started when someone learns Latin is one that should be available to every pupil, wherever they live and whatever background they come from. As Latin is the root of English and many other languages, it is a valuable key to understanding and learning these, and it is a fun and fascinating subject for all children.
We run many different Latin projects in the UK state sector. We are the first organisation to run a scheme delivering Latin as part of the national literacy curriculum, and to focus especially on schools in deprived urban regions, where literacy levels are often low, and the subject may be a particular challenge for pupils. Through our projects we use storytelling, games and activities to introduce the nuts and bolts of Latin grammar, and to demonstrate the deep connections between Latin and English. In this way, we help to unlock the complexity of English and to instil a fascination for learning new languages.
The Literacy through Latin project runs in London, Oxford, Manchester, Reading, Swansea, Fife and Glasgow. It has recently been awarded the EU Language Label 2013 for innovative language teaching projects.
Meet the team behind The Iris Project
Director of The Iris Project and Rumble Museum
Lorna studied Classics at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University. After a chance encounter with a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel in her finals year, she became curious about the similarities between it and Ovid, and eventually received a doctorate from University College London on 'Magical Realism in Ovid's Metamorphoses' in 2005.
She created The Iris Project and Iris magazine to promote Classics in state schools in 2006, and runs Latin and Greek projects in state schools across the UK. She created and runs the Iris Classics Centre, which opened in 2013, and the Rumble Museum, the first museum in a state school, which was awarded Arts Council Accreditation in March 2020.
She has written non-fiction books including "Ovid and Gabriel Garcia Marquez", the Latin course Telling Tales in Latin and its sequel Distant Lands, and Telling Tales in Greek, introducing ancient Greek through the stories of Homer.
She also writes classics-inspired fiction, including The Birder, Flower Gatherers and Telling Tales in Nature. She runs a regular Classics and Creative Writing Cafe.
Museum Lead & Trustee
David supports the planning, organising and running of events, workshops and projects which involve Cheney School students. He is Head of Higher Attainment and UCAS at Cheney School.
David is the member of staff at Cheney School who liaises and collaborates with the Iris Community Classics Centre and was crucial in arranging for the classics centre to first appear at the school back in 2012. He has recently become Museum Lead, supporting the director in embedding the museum throughout the school.
Trustee
Neil studied Classics at Oxford and has since spent more than ten years working in the charity sector with London's homeless. His interest in Classics grew from a childhood love of mythology and soon encompassed a great deal of Classical literature and history too.
He has a particular fascination with anything charting the interactions of the Greeks with their Eastern neighbours, from Homer and Herodotus to Xenophon and the exploits of Alexander the Great. Neil is a trustee and provides valuable input on fundraising and governance. He is actively involved in the running of the charity, particularly its work in London schools and communities.
Web Development & Trustee
Duncan gained a degree in Physics from Oxford University, and an MSc in Aerospace Dynamics from Cranfield University. He then became a computer programmer, and currently works at a financial firm based in Oxford.
He built the Iris Project and Iris Online websites and is the web administrator and developer for the charity. He has a keen interest in constructing ancient armour and has made a Greek aspis shield, which lives in the classics centre at Cheney.
University Liaison Officer, King's College London & Trustee
Will Wootton is the Lecturer in Roman Art in the Classics Department at King's College London. He has been involved with the Iris Project since 2008 and is the KCL liaison for the Literacy through Latin scheme.
He has also delivered talks in primary schools and the East Oxford Community Classics Centre as part of the project.
From 2006 to today
The Iris Project is an educational charity which was started in 2006 by Dr Lorna Robinson in order to bring ancient languages and culture to inner city state schools and communities. The project began by offering a magazine, Iris, free for state schools and weekend/lunchtime classes, and soon expanded across London and Oxford to many state schools as a part of the literacy curriculum.
In September 2006, the first issue of Iris magazine was published, a new Classics magazine which aimed to present Classical topics in a fun, accessible, light-hearted, modern and unusual way.
The Iris Project began offering Latin lessons in state primary schools as part of the literacy curriculum, pioneering a new approach to language learning.
Dr Lorna Robinson set up a new project for adults who had never had the opportunity to study Latin. Running twice-weekly in Oxford with occasional sessions in London, the project runs throughout June and July in local parks.
In July 2008, an Early Day Motion was tabled by Tom Brake MP praising the Iris Project's Latin in the Park initiative. EDM 2016 was signed by 31 other MPs, recognizing how the project promotes access to the classics amongst all communities.
A new project was launched involving teaching ancient Greek in east Oxford primary schools to enhance and enrich children's learning of English and other connected subjects in year six.
Dr Evelien Bracke set up Latin in the Park in Swansea. A collaboration began between the University of Swansea's Department of History and Classics and The Iris Project to teach Latin in Welsh primary schools.
The East Oxford Community Classics Centre opened at Cheney School, providing a dedicated venue for workshops, exhibitions, and community engagement with the classical world.
Rumble Museum gets Working Towards Accreditation Status.
Rumble Museum awarded full Arts Council Accreditation, becoming the first ever accredited school museum.
The Iris Project continues to bring Latin, Greek, and classical culture to state schools across the UK, running the Rumble Museum and Iris Classics Centre at Cheney School, and providing free resources to educators worldwide.
Free teaching materials for teachers and students
We provide comprehensive free teaching materials including Latin and Greek courses, worksheets, games, theatre scripts, and educational resources. All materials are designed to support the national curriculum and make classical education accessible to all.
View All Resources →Complete curriculum with 30 lessons, lesson plans, and storytelling using Ovid's Metamorphoses. Includes downloadable worksheets and PowerPoints.
Latin games including Number Bingo, Roman Snap, Water Clocks, Chariot Dice, and Choose Your Own Adventure interactive stories.
Introduction to Greek alphabet, vocabulary, philosophy, Homer, democracy, and theatre for Year 6 students.
Adapted scripts of Greek plays including Aristophanes' Birds and Frogs, free for school performances.
Award-winning Latin and Greek storybooks with teachers guides, plus the Telling Tales in Nature series exploring plant myths.
Iris and Iota magazines, ancient civilisations workshops, and access to Iris Online digital resources.
Please note: All resources are free to use. We request that you acknowledge they are Iris Project materials when using them. We are grateful for any donations to support our work.
We'd love to hear from you
Email:
info@irisproject.org.uk
As a charity run by volunteers without core funding, we rely entirely on donations and grants to sustain our work in schools and communities.
We promote the languages and cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, making classical education accessible to all students through innovative programs.
Whether you're a teacher interested in bringing Latin to your school, a parent looking for classical education resources, or someone who wants to support our mission, we'd love to hear from you.
Registered Charity Number: 1121868