Classics
Coletines climbing Vesuvius during this year's trip to Italy.
Classics is a thriving and popular subject at Colet Court. The department expects pupils to reach a very high standard of Latin in three years, and also aims to encourage pupils to explore and investigate the many wonders of the classical world. The department tries to combine the best of traditional and modern teaching methods: the boys are required to have a very strong command of grammar and syntax, while we are keen to use ICT to supplement the linguistic and cultural aspects of the course.
Latin begins in the Third Year. The main course book used is the Oxford Latin Course by Maurice Balme and James Morwood. It aims to draw upon the best features of both modern and traditional methods of Latin teaching. This is supplemented by an online interactive OLC Workbook, where the pupils can test themselves on various aspects of the language. Pupils follow a three-year course leading to Common Entrance or Scholarship examinations. The department prides itself on the excellent standards which the pupils reach in all areas of the subject, both inside and outside the classroom.
In the Third Year the boys have seven lessons per fortnight, and this rises to four lessons per week in the Fourth Year. In the Fifth year, all sets have five Classics lessons per week. However, two of the four sets study for the scholarship exams, while the other two focus on the CE exam. Their respective curricula run as follows:
- Set 1: Boys continue with their Latin for three lessons per week, building towards the SPS Latin scholarship exam. In addition, they also begin Classical Greek, which they study for two lessons per week. The course book used is Athenaze by Maurice Balme and Gilbert Lawall. They take a Greek scholarship paper, the mark from which is combined with the Latin to give them a ‘Classics’ Scholarship grade.
- Set 2: The two CE sets continue to have four Latin lessons per week and are prepared for CE Level 3, but in addition they have one Classical Civilisation lesson in which they study the history and archaeology of Pompeii; a section on this topic is also included in their final exam.
The department also provides boys with a variety of extra-curricular activities, with an overseas trip on a yearly basis. In April 2008, a party of 35 joined the IAPS cruise around the Eastern Mediterranean, visiting places such as Ephesus, Santorini, Egypt and Athens. In April 2009 and 2010, a group of 35 spent a week visiting the classical sites of Rome and the Bay of Naples. Closer to home, recent day trips have included visits to the Museum of London and to study Greek myth through paintings at the National Gallery.
The School Classical Society, Classics Forum, meets weekly during term and will typically welcome a visiting speaker or watch a recent documentary about the Ancient World. Every year the School enters the Ludi Scaenici, a Latin play competition for schools in the London area, which we have won on a number of occasions in recent years.
