Boys begin their study of Classics in Year 5 where both classes have one lesson a week of Classical Studies. In Year 6 all boys begin their study of Latin, which is continued in Years 7 and 8. Four lessons a week are allocated to the subject and half the boys are expected to be able to tackle Scholarship Latin and the rest the higher tier papers at Common Entrance. Boys who join the school in Year 7 catch up on Saturday mornings before term starts and follow an accelerated course in their first year.
Greek is offered to all boys in Year 8. The Scholarship classes follow a course designed to let them tackle Westminster ’s first two sections with two lessons a week and the CE classes do an internal paper based on CE level 1 with one lesson a week.
The course books used are Cambridge Latin Course Books 1, 2 and 3, Ecce Romani Books 3 and 4 and Latin 1, 2 and 3. Long-serving member of the Department, Simon James, wrote the latter course and also operates a very popular and useful grammar testing programme ‘Mensa Mensarum’ from his base in the Library. The Head of Department, Andrew Downey, has written a Greek text book ‘Pytheas’ which the CE classes use. He has also written a Latin Play book connected with the Ludi Scaenici Latin Play competition for schools in the London area, which he organises, held each year at the Under School. An annual trip to Sorrento in the Bay of Naples is also organised.