Latin is introduced in the second year to the nine-year-olds who have three thirty five minute lessons and one prep (PR) each week. The number of lessons increases as a boy moves up the school and he will normally have five per week in his final year. Greek is taught to the top set in the penultimate and top year, with a view to those boys taking a scholarship. We follow a beginners Greek course for the top Common Entrance Latin set, with the aim of the boys taking Level 1 Greek to their chosen public school.
We teach Latin in a traditional way and from an early stage boys learn about the structure of language and the derivation of words, as well as the life and civilisation of the Greeks and Romans. We begin with the elementary grammar and vocabulary and work through the syllabus to Common Entrance and Scholarship. Public schools like pupils with a good grounding in Latin, because it increases their range of vocabulary and gives them a better understanding of the derivation and meaning of words; it develops skills of analysis and translation and it improves their ability to write clearly, effectively and with greater imagination. Dorothy Sayers stressed this in the National Review:
“I will say at once that the best grounding for education is the Latin grammar. I say this not because Latin is traditional and medieval, but simply because even a rudimentary knowledge of Latin cuts down the labour and pains of learning almost any other subject by at least 50 per cent.”
The cultures of Greece and Rome were marked by outstanding achievements in literature, art, architecture drama and technology. Not only are these subjects of intrinsic interest to the boys, but they also increase their understanding of themselves and of the world in which they live. Kenneth Baker, while Secretary of State for Education, wrote this about the study of Classics:
“…..Classics has a distinctive contribution to make to the school curriculum by, amongst other things, helping pupils to be more aware of themselves as Europeans and be more tolerant of other cultures…..”
With enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers within the department and a wide variety of colourful and interesting resources, we aim to equip boys with the necessary skills to take their Latin through to GCSE and beyond. We hope that they will develop a genuine enthusiasm for and interest in the classical world, which will remain with them in later life. Kenneth Baker went on to say:
“……I believe that by studying Classics at school pupils can gain a good understanding of the past and its lessons for the present and future. It can develop the skills of analysis and criticism, of precision and clarity in thought and writing, and impose a rigorous intellectual discipline. It can also lay the foundation for success in many fields such as finance, commerce, academia and the law, and not least politics. Many of our former Prime Ministers have been classical scholars….”