CLASSICS
Latin is taught from the age of 9 and is optional from the age of 11, as well as being offered at GCSE and A level. In the Prep School, pupils learn the basic grammatical and syntactical structures, thus exercising logical and analytical skills. Pupils also learn about the ancient Roman and Greek cultures and the roots of western civilization and literature. At GCSE and A level, the department offers Latin, Greek and Classical Civilization.
Classics Department Aims and Objectives
The Department is committed to:
- Delivering a Classical education (Classical Civilisation, Latin Language and Literature, Greek Language and Literature) of the highest standard
- Fostering in the students a love and curiosity for classical cultures, the root of western civilisation.
- Continuously showing students the profound connections between Classical cultures and modern western culture and the relevance of Classical artistic output for today’s society
- Striving to the best of our abilities to use modern and innovative teaching methods to enliven our subjects and foster effective learning
- Delivering excellent results for students at Common Entrance, GCSE, AS-Level and A-Level
Classics Department Achievements
- The number of students studying Classical subjects keeps growing: Latin is the most popular option in the Prep school
- Our results in Latin were supreme: at Common Entrance almost 90% of students achieved an “A” grade, with all our candidates to Senior schools other than the Harrodian achieving high “A” grades. In Latin GCSE, 100% of students achieved “A” grade or above
- We have recently fostered our first Latin scholar: one of our students has been offered to read Classics at Edinburgh University
- Students are passionate about the subject: our trips are amongst the most subscribed to in the school
Classics Department Trips
- The Department has organised a trip for GCSE students to Naples, where students were able to visit and study Pompeian villas normally closed to the public, and where they enjoyed a night at the opera.
- We have also organised a hugely successful trip for Year 7 students to Rome and Naples: pupils visit Rome and its monuments, run around and perform plays in Pompeii, climb to the mouth of Mount Vesuvius and descend into the crater of Solfatara, once believed to be the entry to Hell.
Head of Department: Mr Matteo Rossetti
