Most schools are specialist schools. Latymer has a specialism, teaching bright young people, but a category was chosen during the year 2006/7 leading to designation as a specialist school as well as a grammar school in September 2007. Schools usually choose a subject area which is one of the strongest so this was difficult in Latymer’s case with examination success and enrichment already at a high level in all curriculum areas. After considerable debate, the specialism chosen was Arts.

Extra funding is intended to be spent on enrichment for Latymer students and the wider community in the ratio 2:1. We partner with 4 local primary schools and 1 all-age Special school, all within a walk. Projects have so far included making bottle men with year 3 at one primary school, training all staff in Art techniques at another, enabling primary school children to work with high specification film-making equipment and working with a drama group both at their school and at Latymer.

Latymer students have benefited from extra physical resources and activities, for instance a workshop and theatre visit for year 9. The whole curriculum has gained since techniques used in Arts teaching have been shared across the whole staff.