CLASSICS

Pupils begin Latin in Year 5, and lesson allocations are as follows:

Year 5: 2 lessons per week
Year 6: 3 lessons per week and 1 prep
Years 7 & 8: 4 lessons/week and 1 prep

Ancient Greek is available within the Activities timetable for able Latinists.

AIMS

The Departments aims are two-fold. The first is focused upon pupils’ academic achievement as a whole. We believe that the academic study of Latin is a vital part of a child’s education, giving the opportunity to learn skills of analysis and reasoning, as well as an understanding of the debt our society owes to classical culture. The second is focused upon Common Entrance and Scholarship in Year 8. We aim to ensure that every pupil studying Latin has the opportunity to demonstrate skill in Latin to their future schools, at whatever level is most appropriate for them.

The Department aims to be as inclusive as possible. Although Latin is not compulsory at Common Entrance, we take the view that it should be available for all pupils unless there are pressing reasons why they should not study it. Ideally, pupils should begin Latin in Year 5, but it is possible for pupils to begin studying the subject at the beginning of Year 6, and able and well-motivated pupils have successfully started the language in Year 7.

SCHEME OF WORK

A summary of the scheme of work is as follows:

  1. In Year 5 we aim to offer a gentle introduction to the language – concentrating on basic grammatical structure in English as much as in Latin.
  2. In Years 6 and 7 we aim to cover the first two levels of the Common Entrance syllabus.
  3. In Year 8 the CE group begins with a thorough revision of the Level 2 syllabus, then covers the syllabus for Level 3, with the intention that each pupil can then select the appropriate CE Level for their final exam.
  4. The Year 8 Scholarship group covers the Level 3 CE syllabus in the Autumn Term and then moves on to the Scholarship syllabus in January.

In each year topics from classical culture and mythology are woven into the language learning. In Year 8 the focus for Common Entrance is on the Greek Myths prescribed in the syllabus.

For their preps, Years 6, 7 and 8 follow a vocabulary learning programme. Test details are as follows:

Autumn Term

Spring Term

WORK FOR THE SNOW-BOUND

Although pupils would probably not agree, you can never do too much vocabulary learning. All pupils ought to have their vocabulary book and grammar book with them. Use them to keep up with the vocabulary programme, revise those words learned already, and revise the appropriate grammar - especially noun and verb endings.

USEFUL LINKS

  • There is a good electronic Latin Dictionary to be found here. You can either use it online or download the program for your own computer.
  • Everyone likes Greek Mythology. If you want to find out more about the myths we study in school, then try Theoi, Encyclopedia Mythica or the Greek Mythology Link.
  • The Latin course we use is called Ab Initio, and it is published by Galore Park. St Aubyns has its own Latin Grammar - you can buy a copy or download it as a .pdf for free by clicking here.
  • If you are finding the news in English depressing, then try the news in Latin instead.