Latin is taught in Years 5 to 8 to most pupils with the Common Entrance paper being taken in a pupil’s final term for entrance to a senior school. In Year 5 the upper set starts learning the Latin language from day one of the academic year, using the course book ‘So You Really Want To Learn Latin?’ This forms the basis of the syllabus throughout the four years. The lower set in Year 5 begins with Classical Civilisation (Roman Life and Greek Mythology) before perhaps starting the language element in the Spring Term. Two lessons per week are allocated to Latin at this stage.
In Years 6 and 7, there are three Latin lessons per week. The upper set in Year 6 is aiming to achieve success at Level 1 in Common Entrance by the end of the academic year. In Year 7, the aim for the most able is to attempt a ‘mock’ Common Scholarship or Common Entrance Level 3 paper by the end of the year. The Common Entrance paper includes a Classical Civilisation element which is worth 13% of the total marks.
There is also an opportunity to begin Latin in Year 7 and attempt to reach Level 2 at Common Entrance after five and a half terms. Equally there may be some pupils for whom Latin is not appropriate – although pupils on a learning development programme are not necessarily barred from doing some Latin.
Latin is an optional subject at Common Entrance and indeed in most scholarship examinations. However, most pupils will study it. All senior independent schools support its inclusion in the prep school curriculum. There is a real difference in difficulty between Levels 2 and 3 at Common Entrance. If we feel a pupil is not capable of performing well at Level 3, then we will consolidate Level 2. Senior schools are generally happy with this. Latin scholarship papers are generally very demanding but, as a result, scholarship candidates are given considerable credit for attempting them!
After studying Latin for one year, all pupils receive a vocabulary booklet containing everything they will need to know for Common Entrance. Support for vocabulary and grammar and also for Classical Civilisation topics is to be found in the Power Point presentations in our Central Resource Library. These have been compiled in recent years by past Scholarship candidates.
Pupils often ask ‘Why do we learn Latin?’ The answer is: it supports other language work, it is rigorous, it is finite and it is also a superb ‘training ground’ for the intellect. Discamus Latinum!
Jeff Gallagher
Head of Latin