School banner header

Classical Studies

Logical thinking, literacy, and language are all skills sought in the jobs market today. The study of Latin and Classical Greek is proven by recent research to offer all of these.    

About 90 per cent of the vocabulary of French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Romanian is derived from Latin.  About 90 per cent of all polysyllabic words in English are also derived from Latin. The precise and code-like nature of Latin creates the transferable skill of logical thinking, so is useful in science, computing, law and mathematics.

Classics at the High School of Dundee

Knowledge of Latin improves grammar and prepares students for important professions such as law, medicine, science, music, theology, philosophy, art, and literature which are all steeped in Latin words or words derived from Latin.

And Classical Studies is the opportunity to study the culture and history and ideas of these civilisations of the Romans and Greeks that formed modern Europe but the texts are read in translation.

All pupils in Senior Years have an opportunity to study Latin from Form 1 as one of the two languages studied . Thereafter Latin is taught throughout the school to Advanced Higher level. Classical Studies is taught to pupils in S4 and can be studied again to Advanced Higher level. A few pupils also study Classical Greek but use GCSE and A-Level exams.

Classics trip

The department is small but vibrant, every year running the very popular Classics trip to Italy or Greece open to S2 and S3 pupils, visiting sites of Classical interest and also enjoying the local culture.