Latin and Greek are far from dead subjects in this town. Out of five Wellington School sixth-formers to be offered places at Oxford or Cambridge, two are planning to study Classics, part of a UK-wide revival of interest in these ancient disciplines.
Ruth Aird has an offer from Cambridge University for Classics, Bethany Kilbey follows her sister Jennifer to Oxford with an offer for Geography, Mabel Whitchurch has an offer for Classics, Katie Paul has an offer for Biochemistry, and Adrian White has been offered for Earth Sciences all from Oxford.
“We are delighted for these students,”, commented Martin Reader, Headmaster of Wellington School. “The diverse range of subjects offered is indicative of the breadth of teaching we offer at Wellington and the academic rigour of all our departments”.
Mr Reader singled out the school’s Classics department for particular praise. Should they meet their offers, five students will have gone to Oxford, Cambridge or Yale in the last four years to meet this demanding course.
“At Wellington we are privileged to teach some of the most academically curious students in the area,” John Bird, Head of Classics. “The study of Latin, Greek and Classical Civilisation has been a magnet to the enquiring mind for 2500 years and we see nothing that is changing this trend.”