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Wetherby Preparatory School

Wetherby Preparatory School

Classics

 

Heather Isaksen joined Wetherby Prep in September 2011 as Head of Classics. She previously taught Classics at Wimbledon High School and the King’s School, Canterbury. She has an MA in Literae Humaniores from St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford.

The Classics Department is responsible for teaching both Latin and Classical Civilisation, encompassing not only the language but also cultural, historical and mythological elements of the ancient world. The breadth of this study offers boys an insight not only into ancient cultures but into their own; it also heightens their linguistic and literary awareness, making them better students of modern languages, English and History.

Boys are given an introduction to Classical civilisations in Year 4, where the course is divided equally between Greek Mythology, Alexander the Great and Roman History. In Year 5 boys begin their study of Latin, with one hour a week of the Cambridge Latin Course book I. The book is set in Pompeii and boys learn about daily life and the institutions of the Roman world in conjunction with the language. Half an hour a week of homework is set in Year 5, consisting largely of vocabulary learning. There is an exam in the summer term.

Preparation for the Common Entrance (CE) starts in Year 6 and continues through to Year 8. There are two 60 minute lessons and 35 minutes of set homework per week in Year 6 with an exam at the end of the year. Years 7 and 8 receive two hours of lessons per week, together with 45 minutes of homework. The boys are formally assessed throughout the year using CE past papers, and are continually tested on the prescribed vocabulary. The main text used is ISEB Ab Initio: A Latin Companion for CE, which provides the rigorous level of grammar required for CE and Scholarship standard. As the Common Entrance exam provides for different levels of ability within the subject, each pupil will be entered at an appropriate level according to his ability and progression. Greek Mythology forms an important element of the non-linguistic aspect of the syllabus.

Heather Isaksen

Head of Classics

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