Classics

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Aims & Philosophy

Classics is the study of the language, literature, history and civilisation of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Over fifty percent of English words come from Latin: through the study of Latin and Greek, awareness of English and other modern languages is greatly enhanced. At the same time one can gain an insight into the ancient world and compare its remarkably advanced culture with our own.

Course Content

All pupils study Latin in Year 7 and about half continue in Years 8 and 9. The courses we use contain interesting and entertaining passages of Latin and Greek as well as a good deal of information on history and civilisation. Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation are option subjects at GCSE, and these courses provide the opportunity to read a range of literature in the original or in translation. In the sixth form, Latin, Classical Civilisation, and in some years Greek, are offered as A level subjects.

Resources

The department is housed in the Old Valletort building and possesses an extensive library and visual aids such as slides, videos and maps. The subject is taught by specialist teachers.

Special Information

We encourage pupils to take a wider interest in their studies by visits (e.g. to Bath), reading competitions and travel, with regular trips to Greece and Italy. The recently formed Classical Society, run by sixth-formers, arranges talks by visiting speakers, theatre trips, drama productions and Roman food evenings. The success of the department is shown by the number of students who have gained places at Oxford and Cambridge. A particularly pleasing feature is the achievement of two students in the last decade who have gained the highest mark in the country for their subject, the latest in 1997.