Year 6 | The Ancient Schoolroom

On Tuesday, Year 6 donned the tunics and caligulae of Roman pupils and immersed themselves in a hands-on experience of The Ancient Schoolroom, led by the University of Reading Classics Department. Discipuli and discipulae trialled writing on ostraca and wax tablets, learnt how the Romans did maths using counting boards and experienced first-hand how such a simple tool can be used to solve even highly complex calculations. The pupils read extracts from Virgil’s Aeniad in both English and Latin, learning new vocabulary and revising their grammar as they went. They learnt lots about both the Roman myths and legends which made their way to Roman Britain, and how children in the Roman empire experienced their learning. It was huge fun, and the children impressed the magistri both by their exemplary engagement and behaviour, and their solid knowledge. Optime!