Classics

The magic of the Ancient World inspires and develops young minds as much today as every before! Our curriculum combines the study of the Latin language with the fascinating culture of one of the most influential periods of history. 

Latin language provides the opportunity for pupils to develop their linguistic capabilities whilst also acquiring the ability to think logically and deal with challenging linguistic puzzles. Pupils are encouraged to strive for accuracy and clarity of thought and to enjoy and appreciate the intellectual demands of Latin. We also dedicate significant time to understanding the context behind the language - who were the people that spoke it? How did they live? What similarities can we see between our modern-day world and their ancient one?

Classics is a core subject for pupils in the First Form (Year 7) and the Second Form (Year 8), and an option from Third Form (Year 9). In First Form, the boys study the Cambridge Latin Course, which teaches comprehension of the language for reading purposes and an appreciation of the culture of classical civilisation through its dramatic setting in the city of Pompeii. (Yes, they might find Caecilius in the garden!) As pupils progress, they move on to the new Latin course Suburani, where the pupils are introduced to a more diverse range of characters from the Ancient world, while improving upon their strong linguistics foundation.

We also offer an extra-curricular programme within the Classics department. Greek is taught off timetable, and we run a weekly enjoy Classics Club for the lower school, where we explore a Myth of the Week!
Trips are run to complement background topics where possible. Previous excursions have included visits to Fishbourne Palace and Bath, as well as trips abroad to places of relevant historical interest, such as Rome and Pompeii.

At GCSE, the WJEC Latin course provides a detailed linguistic study of the Latin language in its historical context. The study of Latin also has an extremely positive influence on pupils’ written English by expanding knowledge of both vocabulary and syntax. Pupils study both language and literature from a range of classical authors such as Pliny, Tacitus, Virgil and Ovid in their historical context. This year, we have also introduced the addition of a Classical Civilisation paper, which counts as a third of the overall qualification. 

At A Level, the OCR Latin Language course develops further competence in the Latin Language which enables pupils to read, understand and appreciate the literature of Roman prose and poetry in its original form. They also gain an understanding of the civilisation within which the literature was written. The poetry of Virgil is studied in some depth along with the prose literature of Cicero.

We also offer the OCR Classical Civilisation A Level qualification. This brilliant course allows pupils to access the ancient world without the need for any prior study of Latin. All texts will be translated into English and some of the topics covered include the incredible Homeric epics - The Odyssey or The Iliad - as well as historical evaluations of an Emperor's power over Rome and the origins of traditional theatre, through Greek Tragedy. 

The teachers in the Classics department have a large variety of expertise between them and aim to make the Classical World as enjoyable and relevant as ever. Our beautiful new classrooms are decorated with Ancient columns and a theatrical fresco of a gladiator fighting a lion in an ancient arena!