“I teach Latin, Greek and English for Gwynne Teaching.
In Latin and Greek most of my work involves preparing students for 13+ Common Entrance (all levels plus Scholarship, where applicable), but I am also happy to work with students at a higher level (GCSE and ‘A’ Level). My teaching is based on the Gwynne Teaching philosophy of a rigorous grounding in both branches of grammar (accidence and syntax), which enables the student to develop an active grasp of the language, including translation from English into Latin.
In English I teach students of all ages, from prep school to mature students, and focus on instilling a strong understanding of the grammatical and lexical foundations of our language as the basis of better, more expressive writing and greater enjoyment and comprehension of literature. Teaching students how to write well-structured, well-argued essays is an essential element of this approach. I particularly enjoy introducing students to Shakespeare’s plays and poems.”
Charles Beauclerk graduated from Oxford with a first-class degree in Modern Languages. He has lectured on Shakespeare across North America and is the author of several published books, including Shakespeare’s Lost Kingdom and biographies of the Restoration actress Nell Gwynne and pianist-composer John Ogdon.
Testimonials
Saskia
Dear Chloe,
as promised here is my feedback regarding Charles’ Latin lessons with the Nicolò and Edoardo.
The main point is we couldn’t be happier in terms of how much ground they have covered in a short space of time, but above all in terms of the range of stimulation they are receiving from his lessons. The boys often repeat that they learn more in 45 minutes with him than in any other subject they are taught at school. In addition, and the proof is in the pudding, as it were, despite the challenges, not once has either of them asked to stop taking Latin lessons.
He has become a benchmark for them, and for us, for how a teacher should be. The lessons are intense, well-planned, varied and cover not only grammar, declensions, conjugations, vocabulary, translations but also Ancient mythology and History. He sets the bar high but at the same time compliments them every step of the way, thus always leaving them with a feeling of satisfaction. They sense his breadth of knowledge and are aware of how much more there is to learn, but are inspired by it rather than being daunted by it, thanks to the fact that he is never overbearing. He handles them with a light, personable and often humorous touch, which they really enjoy.
Charles tends to introduce a new topic almost every lesson but will continually weave previous topics into the lesson, spot-check declensions, principle parts, vocabulary, in order to ensure that previous learning is not being forgotten or that it has been sufficiently absorbed. The first proper test the boys took in December did perhaps highlight some gaps in their learning, and I see that Charles has quickly responded by changing his method in some areas. Not only is he setting more regular mini-tests, recaps, but, for instance, rather than typing out on the screen new word-definitions or principle parts for them, he now asks them to look everything up and to make a note of it in their notebooks. This is proving a more efficient way for them to remember things and it also leaves them with a notebook which they can refer back to.
As I mentioned on the ‘phone as regards Edoardo I sometimes fear the grey book translations may be somewhat too challenging, especially in view of his slight dyslexia/dyspraxia which in itself makes focussing as well as processing and holding a lot of information in his head at once more challenging. The sentences are quite complex plus there is a lot of new vocabulary, so I see he really struggles to hold all the information together and I don’t think he’s actually ready to handle these translations on his own. He needs a lot of prompting and though Charles really helps him work it out bit by bit, without giving away the answers, Edoardo in the process sometimes forgets the previous parts that he had just decoded. On a positive note, when asked the questions, he generally does know the rules, he knows what to look out for, he knows the tenses, but stringing everything together is the hard part which he is not yet in a position to do unaided. I just want Charles to be aware of the struggle Edoardo sometime faces. This applies also to the Orange Book translations which he does for homework and which I cannot leave him to do on his own quite yet.
Having said this, I’m sure that in the long-run, persevering despite the challenges he faces, is helping boost Edoardo’s confidence.
I hope I have covered the salient points. We are delighted to have come across Charles and the Gwynne method. He is one of those inspirational teachers that leaves a mark in children’s lives.
All the best,
Antonia Bury
‘Charles has been teaching my children in preparation for their CE 13+. They have both improved a great deal, with Florence’s exam results going up 20% in one term! He is engaging and patient. My children say he is ‘nice and good at explaining things’
My son did add that he is the only Latin teacher he’s met who isn’t bonkers! (He has 5 at his school!)
Tomi Akinyami
Charles is a great teacher. He takes time to explain concepts to his students going over it until they understand. He is nice, very patient and keeps the classes interesting for his young students with jokes. My children love taking their Latin classes with him.
*****
Mr Beauclerk is very good at explaining things. He is very nice and funny. He makes learning Latin easy and fun for me.
– Fife*******
Mr Beauclerk explains things better than most teachers. He explains in a way that makes sense. Instead of just having me translate boring text, he tells me the story behind it so I am learning Latin as well as history in my classes. My Latin classes are a lot of fun.
– Tofe*******
Mr Beauclerk takes time to explain things thoroughly. He points out the relationship between English words and the Latin words I’m learning. He also tells me the story behind the text I am translating to help me understand the context. This has given me a better grasp of both vocabulary and grammar. I enjoy my classes with him and what I have learned has helped me in English, French and even history classes.
– Mofe