Organisation, Curriculum, and Standard of Work (continued)

CLASSICS

The master in charge of this subject has an honours degree in classics and took up his appointment here in 1957 after experience elsewhere. He is assisted in the department by two masters of more recent appointment, both of them graduates.

All boys study Latin for their first year in the school; thereafter, one stream in an age-group continues with a four-year course in the subject up to the ordinary level of the General Certificate of Education. Until recently, however, Latin was not begun until the second year, so that the boys who are now in the third and fourth years in the school will have completed only a three-year course when they offer the subject at ordinary level.

The teaching is in all classes sound and systematic, although in some classes an increase in pace is desirable. The boys respond well and reach a fair standard of accuracy in their written work. A commendable interest is taken in the derivation from the Latin of English and French words. Some attention is paid to the need for reading, but this side of the work is capable of extension; it would be helpful to increase the quantity of reading, and to make more use of it as the basis of teaching. For the boys who are taking the three-year course time is short, but even there, and certainly in the four-year course, more attention could well be paid to the background of the subject, Roman civilisation, and the ancient world. The school has some film strips, and a visit to Rome is now being planned. More illustrative material would be helpful, and in the 1ibrary more books of a kind which would attract Junior and middleschool boys and stimulate their interest in the subject.

For those boys who give up Latin at the end of the first year the course is extremely short, and if it is decided to continue this arrangement, some re-thinking of the syllabus would be very desireable, with the aim of achieving a measure of completeness in the course. Extension of the scope of the work and more emphasis on the background would be useful at this stage, both for those who will give up the subject and for those who continue.

In the sixth form the pupils work hard, but the standard of their work is not high. The greatest need is that they should read much more of the Latin authors not only in brief extracts, but extensively. Discussion of the books and some essay writing would help. them to a fuller appreciation of their work. For this purpose some increase in the time allocated to the subject would be valuable; at present it is hardly adequate. There are also classes in the sixth form for pupils who are beginning Latin at this stage and wish to offer it for examination at ordinary level.

Some classes in Greek have been started in the lunch hour for boys of linguistic ability.

FRENCH

The teaching of French is shared by five graduates, all good linguists and conscientious teachers. The recently appointed head of department has a lively interest in modern methods of language teaching and hopes to establish a language laboratory. Every effort is made to ensure the boys' ready command of both spoken and written French. From the early stages, a high standard of pronunciation is

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