Clifton College Website

Classics

It’s new, it’s different - it’s Newstyle Classics at the Pre !

The days of dusty old primers and endless, meaningless exercises are over - and in their place is the Revised Cambridge Latin Course and The Three Bases (as opposed to the Three Tenors!).

Staff
Head of Classics:	Mr Nigel Siddall BA
Teachers:	Tony Milligan BA PGCE

Base One :

Language Lining - looking at Latin words and seeing how they evolved into such modern European languages as Spanish, French and English. This - hopefully - creates an appreciation of language itself, as well as supporting the modern languages themselves and improving/developing the children’s understanding of their own language.

Base Two :

Logic - learning about the dynamics of the language itself and using this as a base to develop the children’s powers of analysis and deduction. This process of systematic logic encourages them to approach complex situations (both academic and non academic) in a more constructive and intelligent way than might otherwise have been the case !

Base Three :

Cultural Comparisons - the children read about topics from various stages of the Roman period (specifically a) Pompeii shortly before its destruction in 79AD b) Roman Britain at the time of Agricola and c) Roman Egypt in about 85 AD) and, through research and discussion, assess what is similar/ different to the modern era. From this they learn not only to appreciate the influence of the Romans on our culture but also to understand why and how society evolves.

Through this new approach, Latin at last performs a function that is relevant and meaningful - and, because of this, the children not only learn more willingly, but also learn more.

All of this, together with trips to Chedworth Roman villa, the ancient capital of Corinium (Cirencester) and the legionary fortress of Caerleon (not to mention literary/cultural projects during the two year course) means that Classics here is now bubbling and moving forward stronger and healthier than it has perhaps been for many a long year! If one needs proof of that, it is, inevitably, in the children – and the simple fact that the numbers choosing to continue with the subject in the Upper School has risen steadily since the change. The last time I calculated the figure, it stood at a very impressive 90%!