Classics and Latin
The Classics Department at Parkside aims to enable and inspire pupils’ interest and imagination through their study of Latin and Classics.
The teaching develops and encourages an awareness of cultural heritage and tradition so that the boys can begin to discover their position within a society built on Classical roots. Most importantly, we aim to enthuse the boys through exposure to a range of mythology, culture, history, drama and language.
All boys begin their Classical education in Year 5 by diving into the world of the Romans. Boys will study their Gods, food, army and mythology; Minimus is used to introduce boys to Latin in a fun and dynamic way. Year 6 sees a transition to the world of the Greeks, again studying their culture, military and mythology alongside the study of Latin using the Cambridge Latin Course. At this early stage, the primary focus is to ground the boys in the world of the ancients before exposing them to the exciting opportunity of learning the language, which unlocks these topics.
In Years 7 and 8, boys begin deepening their knowledge and understanding of Latin, primarily focusing on developing analytical skills. Translation and vocabulary acquisition are the key elements during this stage of Latin, and boys will predominantly use the Galore Park textbooks to facilitate this.
The Romans and Greeks have played such integral roles in shaping the society in which we, and other European cultures, live. Alongside fostering an enthusiasm and enjoyment for learning about these cultures, the Classics department aims to show the boys how many links there are between our lives we live today and the lives of the ancients. Cross-curricular ties are made at every opportunity with a range of other departments throughout the school; ranging from languages such as English and French to Humanities.
