Year 9 Classics trip visits the Pompeii of 2000 years ago

Earlier this month, Year 9 stepped back in time - almost 2000 years - to an era when Pompeii was a prosperous, busy Roman port, complete with luxurious villas, theatres, cafes and public baths. Using cutting edge immersive technology, they explored the streets, saw some of the best-preserved examples of ancient Roman frescoes painted in the Villa of Mysteries, and witnessed a gladiator battle first hand.

The Last Days of Pompeii Exhibition at London Excel gave our students insight into one of the most famous and significant parts of Classical civilization, with 360-degree projection, virtual reality and free-roaming metaverse reconstruction bringing long ago events back to life.

Students witnessed the power and might of Mount Vesuvius and the extent of the catastrophic destruction wreaked by its eruption in AD79. The massive geological impacts were revealed, alongside the lasting reminders of the human cost, with a sensitive display of the heart-breaking final moments of those caught up in the iconic ash clouds.

February 2026