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Classics

Latin

Latin is started in Year 6 and studied for three years. All boys take the Common Entrance paper (or Scholarship paper) at the end of Year 8. The social and political history of Rome, along with the famous stories of Greek Mythology, is covered either through the Latin translation course itself or separately in Classical Background lessons. These tend to be a small minority of the total since at present only 15% of the marks in Common Entrance (and none, generally, in Scholarship Papers) are given for writing in English on such topics as Domestic life in Ancient Rome or the City’s buildings and entertainments or famous characters from Roman History.

Most boys take Level 1 or 2 at Common Entrance with the more able offering Level 3. Boys of Scholarship ability take either the paper set by their particular Public school or the Common Academic Scholarship exam. This puts them well within reach of GCSE and certainly some Secondary schools like their candidates to take Latin after two years rather that three. We aim to provide everyone with an enjoyable, though firm and traditional, grounding in the subject.

Some boys also study Greek, either to the level required for Common Entrance or beyond.