Classics

Classics at Canford is thriving. We regularly have about 40 pupils studying Latin and/or Classical Civilisation at Advanced level and about 140 in the GCSE years. We also make provision outside the main curriculum for pupils who are interested in beginning or furthering their study of Classical Greek. Examination results in all three classical subjects have been consistently excellent.

When pupils arrive our aim in their first year (Shells) is to give them access to the classical world through studying the language of the Romans and the civilisation of both the Romans and Greeks. Nearly all pupils study Latin and there is a full range of sets, from absolute beginners to scholarship standard.

In addition to the natural appeal and intrinsic worth of the subject we believe that a study of Latin develops and enhances many useful and transferable skills, including problem solving, logical thought and critical analysis.

Furthermore it provides a direct link to the thought processes of the Romans, opening up access to the sophisticated literature of the classical world in a unique way. Latin is a popular option choice for pupils at both GCSE and A level.

Classical Civilisation provides a natural gateway to the classical world for pupils of all ability levels, removing as it does the constraint of needing to be proficient in a classical language. It involves both historical and literary studies within the context of the classical worlds of Greece and Rome. The subject, relaunched at Canford in 2008, is now fully established and is flourishing at both GCSE and A level.

The Classics Department is located in three superbly appointed rooms (Athena, Apollo and Dionysus) on the first floor of the newly built central teaching block, where there is also a Sixth Form seminar room and departmental office (Olympus).