LATIN
All students in Years 7 and 8 study Latin . Most students new to Year 7 have studied either no Latin , or very little , so they should not worry if they have never had any Latin lessons before , but it is also great if they have .
At Sevenoaks we teach Latin alongside studying the ancient Romans . Students will learn not only the basics of the Latin language , but also important aspects of the Roman way of life , including gladiators , baths , religion and the theatre . There will also be the opportunity to put their Latin studies in context by visiting Fishbourne Roman Palace , the Roman baths in Bath and the Caerleon military camp in Year 9 , and then , if they continue with Latin , Italy .
Learning Latin is a fantastic way of developing problem-solving skills . Students who study Latin are learning about all languages , including English , and increasing their ability to analyse sentences and passages of text . Many English words derive from Latin , and much of modern Western culture is based on the ideas , art , politics , literature and society of the Classical world . Some of the best stories originated in Classical times , and learning Latin is a gateway to studying Greek and Roman mythology through literature in the Middle School and Sixth Form .
We use the Cambridge Latin Course as our main text – this follows the story of a Roman family living though important and exciting historical events such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the Roman occupation of Britain .
28 THE LOWER SCHOOL | AT SEVENOAKS