Classics

The Leys is one of the few schools in the country able to offer an education in both Classical Greek and Latin for everyone from beginners to A Level pupils. We also offer Classical Civilisation at GCSE and A Level.

All Year 7 and 8 pupils study Latin for two periods a week. Most are beginners, but anyone who has already started Latin is provided with material appropriate to the stage they have reached. Pupils study the Cambridge Latin Course and finish the second book by the end of Year 8.

Latin becomes optional in Year 9. In a typical year group 50 to 60 pupils study the subject. Cambridge Latin Course Book Three provides the backbone of the course. Extension work is given to those of our year 9 entry from other schools who are already more advanced in this or any other course. There is an opportunity for some to begin Latin at this stage, although it is possible for only the most committed pupils to go on to GCSE having started in Year 9.

GCSE courses are offered in Classical Greek, Latin and Classical Civilisation. The OCR Greek and Latin courses not only develop linguistic competence, but also offer the opportunity to read texts in their original language - currently Homer and Herodotus in Greek and major authors such as Tacitus and Horace in Latin. GCSE pupils currently study Rome, Sparta and the Odyssey, and write an extended essay on the ancient Olympic Games.

All three subjects are also offered at A2 and AS Level. In Latin and Greek the same skills and capacities of translation of both unseen passages and set texts are developed in the Sixth Form but more sophistication and knowledge is required in all areas. These are heavyweight intellectual subjects which will be taken seriously by any University. Classical Civilisation pupils study Women in Athens and Rome, the Iliad, Greek Tragedy and the Aeneid. They are required to show considerable synoptic knowledge as well as advanced critical capacities.

The Classical Department aims to stretch the most academically able but also to provide a stimulating environment for everyone who is curious about the Greeks and Romans. We therefore visit the Theatre regularly, invite visiting speakers from the University and take trips abroad, last visiting Italy in April 2010.

Staff

Alex Welby BA (Oxon) : Head of Department
Elaine Culshaw MA (Cantab)
Caroline Weidermann MA