About us

Find out more about The Greek Summer School and the people who teach and run the courses.

About the greek summer school

The first JACT Greek Summer School was in 1968, in Bedford College, in Regent’s Park, London. For the next seventeen years, until 1985, it was at Dean Close School in Cheltenham, and since then it has been at Bryanston School in Blandford Forum, Dorset. After 52 consecutive years, the COVID-19 pandemic meant there was no summer school in 2020, so 2024 sees the 56th JACT Greek Summer School.

The mission and inspiration of the summer school have always been to support and enhance the teaching and learning of ancient Greek in UK schools and universities, at all levels from absolute beginner to post A-Level. Our especial priority is giving access to the Greek language to those who can’t access it at their school. A significant and growing number of our students each year come from state schools. An impressive number of established Classics teachers in schools and universities, and an appreciable proportion of summer school tutors, began Greek at the summer school.

In overall size, the summer school has grown and grown, from 52 students and six tutors in 1968 to as many as 350 students and 45 tutors in recent years (student numbers are usually around the 300 mark). Our tutors are drawn from both school and university teachers. We are always glad to welcome new tutors to the team, and equally grateful to those who regularly return, even past their retirement from their duties at school or university. The devotion of the tutors, new and old, to Greek and to the summer school’s ethos is a significant factor in its long-term stability.

Our students are largely in the age-range 16-19 and from UK schools, but we are seeing increasing numbers of undergraduates and postgraduates learning Greek for research purposes. Our numbers of overseas students are smaller, but still significant, and the summer school is glad to have been discovered by students from not just other European nations but from several other continents. With the aim of maximising the impact the summer has on the provision of Greek in schools, teachers wishing to offer Greek in their own schools have been welcomed onto our teacher courses since 2017, combining language learning with opportunities to discuss teaching strategies and resources.

Plays, Music & Sports

When you need a break from your Greek, the summer school offers opportunities to get involved with plays, music and a range of sporting activities.

Management

The summer school management committee is responsible for arranging the course each year. The committee comprises a range of specific office holders, alongside the team responsible for the running of the summer school each year, who are all also members. The two weeks of the summer school are set up and run by a course secretary, a director, a director of studies, assistant director of studies and a treasurer, with the support of the body of tutors teaching each year. We are also grateful for the hard work of and support from our matron.

The summer school is able to offer financial support in the form of bursaries to out students. We are grateful to our generous sponsors and supporters for the funds that allow us to do so. If you want to apply for a bursary, please visit our bursaries page.

Reports Bursaries

The Greek summer school staff

Tutors on the course are experienced teachers drawn from schools and universities across the UK and beyond.

Some have been coming for many years and some will be here for the first time this year, but all are dedicated to providing access to Greek.

Cathy Bothwell

I first taught at the summer school in 1998 and since 2014 I have been Course Secretary, as well as a tutor. This involves handling the applications, accommodation and transport arrangements, and acting as a point of contact for the summer school throughout the year. I teach at Durham Johnston Comprehensive School in Durham, where most of my work is Latin, so I love surrounding myself with Greek for a fortnight each summer.

Chris Burnand

I have taught for most of the last 25 summers at the Greek Summer School, and each time I never fail to learn lots about all things Greek from students, fellow tutors and visiting lecturers. In the past I served for several years as Director of Studies, and am now Chair of the Management Committee. As my 'day job' for the last 18 years I have been Head of Classics at Abingdon School.

Christopher Burden-Strevens

I am Lecturer in Roman History at the University of Kent. My favourite things to teach at Bryanston are ancient history-writing and comedy; be prepared to make costumes for one of the plays if you’re in my group! Outside of Bryanston my special interests are the political history of the Late Republic—on which I have just published my first monograph—and staying up too late playing strategy games.

Kathryn Stevens

I first fell in love with Ancient Greek as a beginner at Bryanston, and since 2016 have been lucky enough to come back as a tutor; the rest of the time I lecture in Classics and Ancient History at Oxford University. It’s a huge privilege to spend two weeks immersed in Greek language, literature and culture with over 300 inspiring, talented learners and teachers in the beautiful surroundings of Bryanston, and I highly recommend it to students and colleagues alike!

Costas Panayotakis

The Greek Summer School has been my sunny summer holiday home since 2004, when I first taught Greek Beginners there, leaving behind for a fortnight the dear green place that is Glasgow University and my duties as Senior Lecturer (now Professor) in Latin. It’s a great joy to return to the Summer School each year to make new friends, to learn and to teach Greek, to have fun watching (and taking part in) the Greek plays, and to profit from (and contribute to) the evening talks.

Rowena Hewes

I have tutored at the summer school since 2015. I have a background in Philosophy and only moved into Classics after my undergraduate degree, showing that it is never too late to start learning Greek! I look forward to the summer school every year for its exciting and unique intellectual climate; it really does offer something for everyone. For the rest of the year, I teach Classics at Westminster School in London.

JACT summer school trust

When the Joint Association of Classical Teachers (JACT) merged with the Classical Association in 2015, the JACT Summer Schools Trust (JSST) was formed to continue JACT’s work in providing summer schools. The Trust consists of four summer schools which collaborate to minimise administrative costs and maximise opportunities for discovering Classics.

JSST is a registered charity (1137562) and a limited company, registered in England & Wales (07331184). Registered Office: 10 Market Walk, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1JZ.

JSST’s complaints procedure applies to the Greek summer school.

The correspondence address for JSST is via the Secretary to the Trustees, Mrs Cathy Bothwell. Please use the contact page for the JACT Greek Summer School or email direct to [email protected]

Interested in attending the Greek summer school?

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