Elevating Heritage, Embracing Reform.

The Classical Institute adopts a classical ethos in education, seeking to edify students through intellectual and spiritual growth, and to enrich them with timeless universal virtues.

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Led by the Founding Dean, Dr Badreldeen Ismail, this term of the Classical Arabic Language: Advanced Comprehensive Curriculum advances students towards linguistic precision, fluency, and expressive command. Drawing upon his distinguished expertise in Arabic language, literature, and rhetoric, Dr Badreldeen guides students through the study of Arabic as both a classical and living tradition. The programme integrates close textual analysis with structured linguistic enquiry, engaging learners with classical and modern texts that reveal the depth, logic, and eloquence of the language. Through this rigorous and reflective approach, students advance in their comprehension, articulation, and appreciation of one of the world’s most enduring intellectual languages.

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Seminar 2: Sophocles’ Antigone and Obedience to the Law

Seminar 2: Sophocles’ Antigone and Obedience to the Law

“In 5th century BCE Athens, history, drama and philosophy came to be, a remarkable moment in intellectual history”
— John Claughton

This autumn, The Classical Institute inaugurates a seminar series with four sessions on Herodotus’ Histories, Sophocles’ Antigone, Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War, and Plato’s Crito. The series is led by John Claughton, Lecturer in Latin and Greek at The Classical Institute, former Chief Master of King Edward’s School and former Master at Eton College, and a published author on Herodotus, Thucydides, Aristophanes, Plato, and Lucian.

Intellectual Progress

The Classical Institute facilitates intellectual growth through several classical pedagogical approaches.

Spiritual Progress

In addition to promoting intellectual development, The Classical Institute also nurtures spiritual growth.

Moral Progress

The ultimate aim of intellectual and spiritual growth is to engender moral development.

Meet Our Founding Dean

  • Dr Badreldeen Ismail, a distinguished scholar whose passion and expertise have shaped TCI’s unique approach to education.

Biography

  • Classical Curriculum

    The Classical Institute advances intellectual and spiritual formation through rigorous study across Languages and Literature, Philosophy and Theology, and the Intellectual Traditions of both East and West, each approached with depth, precision, and integrity.

  • Scholarly Community

    The Classical Institute brings together a serious body of scholars and students engaged in the pursuit of knowledge and the revival of classical learning. It is a rigorous intellectual environment, fostering critical thought, textual precision, and academic excellence across disciplines.

  • Living Tradition

    At The Classical Institute, tradition is a living framework through which knowledge is transmitted, refined, and renewed. Our teaching integrates the enduring wisdom of classical scholarship with the disciplined methods of contemporary research, ensuring depth, accuracy, and critical engagement.

Enriching Minds.

The Classical Institute’s Educational Journey.

Distinguished Features of a TCI Education

  • Teacher-Student Bonds

    TCI cultivates enduring teacher-student bonds, with teachers becoming trusted mentors who guide students through their lifelong learning journeys, helping them to become autonomous learners beyond the classroom, and inspiring them to strive for excellence.

    TCI teachers provide individualised attention and tailor learning journeys to specific student requirements.

  • Learning Community

    TCI respects and incorporates diverse lived experiences into its educational approach, which helps to foster more nuanced and informed understandings.

    Student collaboration and interdisciplinary learning are key components of TCI’s approach, encouraging students to form a strong peer support network and to draw connections between different areas of study.

  • Holistic Outcomes

    Student success at TCI transcends mere academic assessment scores. A successful student is one who develops an ability to think critically and embodies a lifelong passion for learning.

    TCI teachers are invested in the holistic development of their students, seeking enduring edification through intellectual and spiritual progress, and the development of ethically sound participants in the community.

Student Thoughts & Reflections

  • "I would recommend unreservedly, for anyone to undertake the courses or a tailored training program at The Classical Institute under the tuition of Dr Ismail to broaden all your horizons and help you to transcend the mundanity of everyday modernity."

    Dr Imran Khan, Birmingham UK

  • "TCI has privileged me with a rare environment whereby edification is privileged above all other objectives. The diverse curriculum, spanning across several languages, canons, and ideologies, has enabled me to expand my intellectual horizons significantly."

    Abdelhamid Arbab, New Jersey US

  • "Studying at TCI has been a profoundly transformative experience; both intellectually, and spiritually. It has given me an appreciation of classical Eastern and Western learning, ignited a sincere desire to seek knowledge and helped engender critical thinking."

    Dr A Ghuari, Birmingham UK

  • "TCI’s holistic approach to education emphasises personal development beyond just the subject matter, and creates an environment conducive to both academic and spiritual growth."

    Dr Sarah Mehanna, Solihull UK

  • “Dr Ismail's teachings have allowed me to develop my critical thinking skills, encouraging me not to take everything at face value but to study it in depth, and that every word and letter has meaning in it.”

    Mohammad Umar, Solihull UK