Head of Department: Mr Simon Carr sc@sevenoaksschool.org
Sevenoaks School has one of the largest and most flourishing Classics Departments in the country. Seven members of the teaching staff run courses in Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation throughout the school to GCSE and the IB diploma.
As a department we believe that the education of everyone is enriched by the study of the language, literature and culture of the classical world. From the study of the Latin or Greek language, a pupil develops a sensitive and analytical approach to language generally, and is permitted close access to the literature and thought of classical civilisations which have had a profound influence on the history, ideas, politics, institutions, drama, and artistic achievements of Western Europe and beyond.
Years 7 & 8
All pupils entering the school at age 11 start Latin; we follow the Cambridge Latin course, which offers a lively introduction to the Roman world, along with the elementary stages of the Latin language. By the beginning of Year 9 all pupils will have a sound linguistic basis for their study of Latin.
Year 9 and GCSE
Those who enter Year 9 at age 13 with a knowledge of Latin are encouraged to continue with the subject. The GCSE course is a blend of the Cambridge Latin course and a more traditional approach, combining the best of both worlds. Greek is started in Year 9, either with or instead of Latin. Thus it is possible for a pupil with no Latin to start Greek as her or his classical language. In both Greek and Latin we put emphasis on the acquisition of a rapid, accurate reading knowledge of the languages while insisting at the same time on the essential precision which is so much a part of the “old” approach. We believe, too, that pupils should absorb much about the social life of the two cultures as well as their languages. To this end, and to help with the coursework of the GCSE, the Department arranges a field visit each year to Pompeii, and occasionally to Greece.
For those without any previous classical experience and for those who prefer not to continue with Latin in Year 9 we offer an exciting course we have devised with the Geography Department on the Mediterranean World. Our part of the course focuses on the impact made by the Greeks and the Romans on the Mediterranean environment.
In Year 10 we offer a GCSE course in Classical Civilisation. This is a non-linguistic course which aims to give a picture of the Greek and Roman worlds. We do this by emphasising primary sources (literature, graffiti and archaeological evidence). Hence a lot of visual material is used (film, video-tapes etc.) One of the prime aims is to teach the skill of evaluating evidence.
Sixth Form
In the Sixth Form the Department offers Latin, Greek and Greek & Roman Studies at IB. The literature in our Greek and Latin courses is studied according to genres (Satire, Comedy, Tragedy, History etc.) and, most importantly we seek to establish links with modern literature, on the grounds that most European literature has its prototype in the ancient world. The Department runs a Summer School in Rome for a week in the June of the Lower Sixth Year, which gives IB pupils a feeling for the development of Rome and the way in which the Latin literature studied fits into that development. The Department also seeks to provide an opportunity to visit Greece with the same aims.
The International Baccalaureate courses in both Latin and Greek lay particular emphasis on:-
- The appreciation of ancient literature
- An awareness of the social and historical context in which that literature was written.
- The acquisition of a linguistic fluency in order to read the literature in the original languages.
Importance is attached to the influence of the ancient world upon the modern in literature, art and institutions.
The Department also offers a Greek and Roman Studies course at Standard Level. A rich mixture of both Greek and Roman topics is studied, some concentrating on literature, others on the societies and their literatures.
Click here to see examination results