The Iris Classics Centre at Cheney School in Headington has hosted its seventh annual classics summer school.

Thirty-five children aged between seven and twelve arrived each morning to take part in Latin and ancient Greek lessons with a team of volunteer teachers, as well as engaging in a range of craft activities themed on different cities at morning registration, and break times.

Students joined Sparta, Rome, Athens and Sparta classes, and experienced a wide range of language learning resources and activities to introduce Latin and ancient Greek, from animal sounds to Roman banquets, and much in between.

Dr Lorna Robinson, director of the Iris Project, said: “We were delighted to welcome over 30 children at this year’s Iris classics summer school at Cheney.

“We are so grateful to our team of volunteer teachers who delivered really engaging Latin and ancient Greek lessons to the students, and it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying learning about the ancient world through language lessons and arts and crafts activities. There was also a great range of costumes on the last day themed on the gods - some Athenas, Ares, Artemis, Demeter, and also some lesser known gods like Hebe!”

Day one was themed on Athens, and students were able to ask questions of the Delphic Oracle, try some Greek archery, have a go at red-and-black pottery decorating, and make Greek city state badges. Some students also tried on a Corinthian helmet and aspis shield.

Day two featured Pompeian activities, including making and erupting volcanoes, mosaics and Roman beads. The final day continued a Roman theme, with scutum painting and Roman sundials amongst the activities. Everyone was also able to have a go at some tricky lucky dip questions and to have their face painted. The final day also featured a costume competition themed on the gods, and a range of Greek and Roman deities appeared, from Artemis, Athena and Hermes, to Demeter, Hebe and Ares, plus a few Roman soldiers too.

Dr Robinson added: “We are enormously grateful to our volunteer teaching team, James, Sophie, Anna, Sif, George, Tarika, Taslima and Leo, for running such engaging lessons, and to Sav, Duncan and Rachel for supporting refreshments and activities.

The Iris Classics Centre and Rumble Museum at Cheney are part of a unique partnership between an educational charity and a school. The Iris Project, a charity which promotes learning about the ancient world, is working with Cheney School to grow a community classics centre and museum within a school. It is the first school museum to be awarded full Museum Accreditation by the Arts Council Museum Accreditation Scheme.