Intellectually stretching, yet rewarding and fun

The study of Greek and Latin offers an enjoyable and intellectually stretching linguistic training that is of enormous benefit both to the study of modern European languages and to an enhanced awareness, appreciation and understanding of our own. The study of Greek and Roman literature and civilisation provides an illuminating experience and a refreshingly radical reappraisal of our own world and the assumptions on which it appears to be based. It is also great fun. Many pupils and students at St Leonards appear to agree. Classics is thriving at St Leonards. Although Latin, together with Classical Studies, is compulsory in Years 8 and 9, we need two divisions of Latin and two of Classical Studies to cope with the number of pupils who choose to continue to GCSE in Years 10 and 11.Our subjects are offered at IB and attract a good number of students. They go on to study at universities including Oxford and Cambridge, sometimes beyond undergraduate level. Our seniors who come back to see us tell us how useful, as well as enjoyable, they have found our subjects, whether they have studied Spanish and Arabic at university or become corporate lawyers after graduating with a Classics degree.