King Edward VI Shakespeare's School | Stratford-upon-Avon

View Sub Navigation

We at K.E.S. believe strongly in the value of a classical education.

At K.E.S. every boy in Years 7 and 8 has the opportunity to study Latin. Students learn to think flexibly and develop problem-solving skills as they master a different grammar and vocabulary. In learning Latin or Greek our students encounter the roots of many languages, including English. Through the history and literature of the Classical world they develop their powers of empathy and begin to understand the powerful impact ancient Greek and Roman thinkers have had on Western society and culture. We are committed to sharing our passion for Classics with our students, while expecting from them the high standards of academic rigour with which the Classical subjects are associated. We use up-to-date methods, including the effective use of ICT, and focus on the analytical and creative skills that will help our students thrive in later life. We believe that all our students can enjoy and learn from Classical subjects, and we offer something for everyone. Latin is a timetabled GCSE option which may be studied in combination with Ancient Greek from Year 9. Ancient History can also be studied in a middle school lunchtime club. At A Level we offer Latin and Ancient History. Ancient Greek A Level is available through the Sixth Form Enrichment Programme. The Classics department is located on the main quad in two well-equipped classrooms. There are two full-time members of staff. Collaboration with other departments has led to projects such as the Year 8 Classics and Drama Festival. We also have close links with contact with the University of Warwick and the Accademia Vivarium Novum in Italy. Our Classical Society (El Classico) meets each Friday lunchtime. Trips are organised each term to plays, museums and lectures and we regularly take expeditions to Bath, Hadrian’s Wall, Italy and Greece. We compete successfully in a variety of essay, translation and reading competitions and hold our own annual Latin and Greek Reading Competition in Big School. A new tradition is the Latin play, part of our Live Latin programme. Our students go on to study Classical subjects at a range of excellent universities, in particular at Oxford and Cambridge.