On Wednesday the Classics department took the Year 8 Latin pupils to the British Museum for the morning. In our lessons at the moment we are exploring the Roman occupation of Britannia, and the changes that the Romans brought with them, so this trip helped everyone to put their classroom learning into its wider context. At the museum the pupils were split into groups and explored three different galleries: Roman Britain, Pre-Roman Britain, and a gallery of their teacher’s choice (the Parthenon Galleries, Anglo-Saxon Britain, and Ancient Iran). This trip allowed Year 8 to see for themselves artefacts held by real Romans and Britons nearly 2000 years ago: their mosaics, their technology, even their birthday invitations. As one pupil succinctly put it: “I can’t believe they were so like us!”

There really is a world to explore at the British Museum, and the Classics department recommends revisiting in your own time. Next year the museum will also host an exhibition on the Roman Army, which ties in wonderfully with the next two chapters of the Year 8 Latin course. Another opportunity to see more of the ancient Romans in our city!

Dr Hayes, Head of Classics