Classics

Structure of the Latin and Greek courses

LATIN:

Lower 3 (Year 6):
possible initiation with 'Minimus' book for some pupils.

Upper 3 to Upper 4 (Years 7 to 9):
beginners' Latin compulsory for most pupils, studying books 1 to 3 of the Cambridge Latin Course. This involves study of many aspects of Roman civilisation alongside the Latin Language.

Lower and Upper 5 (Years 10 and 11):
pupils opting for Latin GCSE continue to study more advanced Latin grammar (in Books 3 and 4 of the Cambridge Latin course) and also read the prose and verse literature required for the Set Texts section of the exam.

6th Form (Years 12 and 13):
Girls study both language and literature for the AS and A2 exams.

Structure of the Classical Civilisation course

Upper 3 to Upper 4 (Years 7 to 9):
Books 1 to 3 of the Cambridge Latin Course, studied by most pupils, include aspects of Roman civilisation alongside the Latin Language. Classical Civilisation has in some years been offered as an alternative to Latin in Upper 4 (Year 9), in which case a diverse and varying range of Classical topics has been covered.

Lower and Upper 5 (Years 10 and 11):
GCSE Classical Civilisation is offered, subject to enough pupils opting for it. The course examines a variety of the topics available in the syllabus. These might include Greek athletic Festivals, Roman Religion, Greek tragedy or the Odyssey.

6th Form (Years 12 and 13):
the course includes a selection of the wide-ranging modules on offer in the syllabus, chosen to include both Roman and Greek topics, and to involve both the literature and the wider aspects of the two cultures.

Exam boards

GCSE Latin and Classical Civilisation: OCR;

AS and A2 Latin: OCR;

AS and A2 Clasical Civilisation: AQA.

Cambridge Latin course web-page

OCR Latin GCSE web-page

OCR Latin AS/A2 web-page

AQA Classical Civilisation web-page

FAQ: Why study the Classics?

1- To be like these famous Classicists:

(List and subsequent quotes taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classics)

Karl Marx, philosopher and political thinker, studied Latin and Greek and received a Ph.D. for a dissertation on ancient Greek philosophy. The term "proletariat" which he coined came from that Latin word referring to the lowest class of citizen.
Friedrich Nietsche, famous philosopher, earned a Ph.D. and became Professor of Classics at the University of Basel.
Toni Morrison, noted author and Nobel Prize winner, studied classics at university.
Charles Geschke, founder of Adobe systems, studied Classics at Xavier University.
Ted Turner, media mogul, and the man behind CNN, studied Classics before being expelled from Brown university.
J.K.Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, studied Classics at Exeter, just like Mr Daley. She frequently uses classical terms in her books. Some of her novels have been translated into Latin.
William Cohen and James A. Baker III, former members of the United States cabinet, both studied Classics.

[edit]

2- Because these are the views of two great men about the value of the Classics:

"I love the language, that soft bastard Latin, which melts like kisses from a female mouth."
—George Noel Gordon (Lord Byron), Beppo;
"I would make them all learn English: and then I would let the clever ones learn Latin as an honour, and Greek as a treat."
—Sir Winston Churchill, Roving Commission: My Early Life.