Latin

Belhaven has a young and dynamic department with an excellent scholarship and Common Entrance record in Latin. The department works hard to keep Classics at the forefront of the curriculum within the school and this involves not only providing a rigorous approach to teaching the subject, but also maintaining a realistic, innovative and up-to-date awareness of how to enthuse modern children of all abilities.

The children start to learn Latin in Form 4 where they are taught the background to the language, through studying the ancient world, its people and day-to-day life, and the way they perceived the world. At this stage, children also discover a variety of Greek myths.

Children are usually put into sets from form three onwards, although occasionally they may spend one further year in mixed ability classes. The focus is more clearly on the Latin language, while maintaining a clear connection with the cultural context.

Much, but certainly not all, of the emphasis is on preparing children for the relevant Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations, but of greater importance is the child’s sense of achievement and enjoyment from studying Latin.