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Department Reviews

CLASSICS

The Classics department has enjoyed another productive year. Increased numbers in the sixth form have meant that even more pupils achieved top grades in Classical subjects while our GCSE classes also acquitted themselves very well in their examinations. We continue to celebrate the fact that, despite the increased range of courses on offer, a steady stream of pupils goes on to study Classical subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

We are delighted that Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation are holding their own in the 21s century curriculum and the Classics notice-board is regularly updated with features on topical issues, for example the debate about the British Museum’s Parthenon sculptures and the new Acropolis Museum in Athens or the use of cutting-edge technologies to map the Roman Catacombs. It is also exciting to be teaching Latin and Greek to members of College’s first IB cohort and to be introducing the new AS Latin and Greek specifications. Take-up remains steady throughout College and it is wonderful to have greater numbers studying Greek in UC4. A particular highlight of the year has been the refurbishment of W108, the Classroom of the Future, which enables us to use the latest educational technology to introduce our pupils to the wonders of the Classical world.

All our pupils value opportunities to interact with other young Classicists, some even going as far as to spend two weeks of their Summer Holiday at the Joint Association of Classical Teachers’ Greek Summer School. Under the auspices of the Gloucestershire Classical Association, pupils have taken advantage of opportunities both to test themselves and to expand their knowledge. There was the usual crop of prizes at the Latin and Greek Reading Competition as well as some excellent talks on Classical Subjects. SFC girls attended an illuminating lecture by Dr Susan Walker on ‘Actium and the Art of Victory’ while they were joined by their UC colleagues for Dr Jennifer Ingleheart’s talk on ‘Ovid Metamorphoses 8’ and Professor Robert Parker’s entertaining and scholarly ‘Introduction to Greek Religion’ . These talks were both informative and interesting but posed rigorous intellectual challenges to which our pupils rose with commendable intelligence and focus. Our in-house Classical Reading Group is going from strength to strength with a core of regular participants who have not only sampled Classical Authors as diverse as Aristophanes, Sophocles and Propertius but have also dabbled in English translations of the poems of Cavafy. They were particularly privileged to enjoy a talk entitled ‘Birds and Women in Classical Greek Poetry’ given by our own Juliet Cowen, a former pupil who as a member of the Classics Department this year has made an outstanding contribution to College life. The LC2 and LC3 girls have enjoyed their trips to Chedworth Roman Villa and the Corinium Museum and the Roman Baths respectively and continue to be fascinated by the lasting impact of the Romans on the environment. LC1, in preparation for their LC2 studies, enjoyed being introduced to daily life in Roman times through making their own models of Pompeian houses.

We continue to engage in fruitful collaboration with other departments. In Project Week, for example, LC2 took part in a joint Classics and Mathematics activity involving the Fibonacci series, the golden ratio and the Parthenon while with the Physics Department we used the Starlab to introduce pupils from a local primary school to some of the constellations and the Greek myths associated with them.

Classics offers much to challenge, interest and inform as is evidenced by the regularity with which Classical issues feature in the media and the high regard with which universities view qualifications in Latin and Greek; it is our pleasure and privilege to help our pupils, through their study of Classical languages, culture and literature, to be ready to take their places as good citizens of the modern world.

News

Vicky Tuck – Telegraph Articles

Vicky Tuck – Telegraph Articles

Please see the links below for the latest Telegraph articles written by Vicky Tuck. 05 February 2010, 11 January 2010, 11 December 2009, 12 November...

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Antarctic Explorer

Antarctic Explorer

On Saturday 27 February Felicity Aston, freelance travel writer and adventurer, delivered a sensational speech to the girls in Year 9. She told us ab...

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RS CONFERENCE

RS CONFERENCE

On Wednesday 3rd February, Cheltenham Ladies’ College held an RS Conference in the Princess Hall. It was based on ethics and morality, a key topic wi...

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Evensong at Coventry Cathedral

Evensong at Coventry Cathedral

On a chilly Saturday in February the College Choir embarked upon a trip to sing Evensong at Coventry Cathedral. Most of us were expecting a tradition...

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Notre Voyage à Paris

Notre Voyage à Paris

Early on Thursday 4th February a group of SFC2 French students set off from Cheltenham for a long weekend in Paris. On arrival in Paris we settled int...

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