Latin

Departmental Aims

Our aim is to foster an awareness of the Roman world, and to stimulate an interest in as many aspects of it as possible, focusing primarily on its language but also exploring its political and social history, literature and art. We believe that, in Latin, students develop their problem-solving skills and analytical powers, and that they come to see their own world more clearly and to understand it better.

Facilities

We have three full-time and one part-time specialist teachers, who are graduates of the universities of Cambridge, Exeter, Nottingham and Birmingham. A set of departmental Chromebooks enables students to access a vast range of relevant online resources.

A Level Curriculum

We follow the OCR specification, which involves both language and literature work:

• Students are expected to extend their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar with the aim of being able to translate passages by major authors such as Caesar and Ovid by the end of the course
• In literature, recent set texts have included the second book of Virgil’s Aeneid, detailing the destruction of the city of Troy at the end of the Trojan War, and Cicero’s lawcourt speech defending the politician Caelius on an accusation of poisoning. Current texts include the fourth book of Virgil’s Aeneid, detailing the tragic story of Aeneas and Queen Dido of Carthage, Nepos’ biography of Rome’s greatest enemy Hannibal, and Apuleius’ account of the romance between Cupid and Psyche.

Co-curricular, Enrichment, Extension and Support

• Students can volunteer to assist with the running of a Classics Club for students in Years 7-9.
• There are often opportunities to take part in university-led essay competitions.
• We take opportunities, when available, to attend relevant lectures, theatre performances or museum exhibitions.
• When possible, the department also looks to lead trips abroad touring the ancient sites of religious, political or historical significance in Greece or Rome.

In recent years, our students have gone on to study Latin or Classics at the universities of St Andrews, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter and Nottingham, as well as a range of other degree subjects at other universities. Former students are now working in areas such as law, medicine, veterinary medicine, psychology, politics and marketing.