SALVETE, OMNES!

We aim to open the eyes of students to an exciting world of new experiences and challenges as well as work with intellectual rigour and meet high academic standards. There is something for everyone – Greek myths, classical archaeology, the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, Roman Britain and, of course, the greatest of all, the Latin language itself. The Latin language helps not only with understanding the vocabulary and technicalities of English but also with laying foundations for other modern languages such as Spanish and French. One of the greatest achievements of GCSE students is their ability to translate original passages of Latin and to understand for themselves the words and thoughts of real Romans.

Everyone in Year 7 has the chance to study Latin, and thereafter Latin or Classical Civilisation are taught in Year 8 and Year 9. Classical subjects also have an important place in the option schemes for GCSE and Advanced Level syllabuses.  We run a range of extra curricular clubs for Classical Civilisation and Latin.

The School is superbly placed to take advantage of the excellent teaching and learning resources of London and the provinces. There are regular trips to the British Museum and its marvellous collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, to Cambridge University's Museum of Classical Archaeology, to the London Festival of Greek Drama, focused on King's College and University College, to Sovereign Education's scholarly lecture programme and to the many other Classical conferences organised by JACT and the universities. Pupils may also visit Roman Verulamium, Aquae Sulis and Cogidubnus' palace at Fishbourne.

There are regular visits to Pompeii and Sorrento, and to Athens, Delphi and the Peloponnese, often as joint projects with other departments such as that with Art to Rome, Siena and Florence.  Year Eight pupils have recently returned from a most successful visit to Roman Provence, where we spent a week looking at the archaeological sites of the area.