Classics

Classics is the study of the Greeks and Romans during the period 1500 BC to 400 AD. Knowing something of what happened then is important because so many ideas that are still relevant today come from that time.

By studying Latin, students learn about the structures of language and acquire knowledge of more complicated technical English. This equips them to learn many modern foreign languages.

We use the Cambridge Latin Course, which teaches the Latin language in the 'modern' style, with each new linguistic idea being introduced by reading passages, followed by explanation and exercises. The course covers background topics such as Pompeii, Roman Britain, and Rome itself.

In Classical Civilisation, students study aspects of Roman and Greek culture. This includes literature and art, as well as more general areas of religion, myth, history, entertainment and everyday life. Everyone studies Latin in Years 7 and 8, and most for a third year too. In Year 9 about a third of pupils are placed in sets for Classical Civilisation.