Classical civilisation

Why study Classics?

Classical Civilisation is the study of the literature, history, and culture of the Ancient Greek and Roman World.

You will have the opportunity to study a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on responding critically to and engaging with a wealth of sources and ideas, developing analytical skills readily transferable to other subjects and further study of the classical world. 

Studying the Classical World offers a unique opportunity to learn, discuss, and analyse how Western Civilisation came to be: why does drama have power; when does a politician become a tyrant; what makes a hero? All this and more are discussed as part of Classical Civilisation A Level, and this subject gives you skills to enable you to come to your own conclusions and critically assess the opinions of those around you. 
 
In recent years, many Woodhouse students have gone on to study classical civilisation or a closely related degree course at Russell Group universities and Oxbridge. A good degree in this subject will open doors and allow you to pursue a career in a variety of fields such as law, the media, the civil service and business.

Course overview

The course aims to give you a broad and varied understanding of the Ancient World, whilst facilitating your ability to think critically, independently, and analytically. The course is 100% in translation, so you do not need Latin or Ancient Greek to do Classics. 

The topics currently offered at Woodhouse are:

Year 1: Greek Theatre – In this module, we read three Greek plays (translated into English): Oedipus Rex, Bacchae, Frogs, and evaluate a selection of material evidence. This evidence allows us to consider: 
Where did Drama, Tragedy and Comedy originate?  
How can we use theatrical texts to discuss social issues? 

Year 1 and 2: World of the Hero – in this module, we read two epic poems in translation – one from Ancient Greece (Homer’s Odyssey) and one from Ancient Rome (Virgil’s Aeneid). These poems allow us to consider: 
What makes a hero? 
How did ancient ideas of family, the gods, and fate progress over time? 

Year 2: Politics of the Late Republic – in this historically focused module, we delve into why the Roman Republic fell, and consider: 
When is a political state ‘fair’ and ‘unfair’? 
Is it possible to live peacefully under a tyrant?  
Why do nations and states fail?   

How is the course assessed?

We offer OCR’s Classical Civilisation course, which is essay-based and 100% exam based.

There are three examinations for Classical Civilisation:

• Greek Theatre (30% of the overall grade) – 75 Marks. 1 hour 45 mons
• World of the Hero (40% of the overall grade) – 100 marks. 2 hours 30 minutes
• Politics of the Late Republic (30% of the overall grade) – 75 marks. 1 hour 45 minutes 

What will I do in lessons?

Classics lessons are a mixture of reading texts, discussion-based activities, and practice exam questions. Time is taken to model how students should approach an ancient text, what to look for, and how to form their own opinions. We heavily emphasise discussion-based work in the Classics classroom, with students constantly being challenged to consider what they think. We also do group work, particularly at the end of topics. 

What Independent study will be expected?

5 hours of independent study will be set each week.

Please see below for some examples of the types of work set:

• Summarising texts read in class
• Planning practice questions
• Reading scholarly opinions on a topic 
• Group tasks, like presentations, posters, competitions.

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Exam Board

OCR

Link to specification

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GSCE entry requirements

• 5 in Mathematics required
• 6 in English language required
• 6 in English Literature required

What A Levels go well with this one?

Many students pair Classics with other Humanities subjects like English, Philosophy, Sociology, and History, or with Modern Foreign Languages.  

Other students who want to do stem subjects have in the past chosen Classics as their sole essay-based subject and really enjoyed the variety the course added to their studies.  
The vast majority of our intake have never studied the Classical World before!  

What can I do beyond A Levels with this subject?

A good degree in this subject will open doors and allow you to pursue a career in a variety of fields such as law, the media, the civil service and business.

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Frequently asked questions

What is "Classics" and why should I study it?

"The ancient Greeks and Romans grappled with exactly the same issues that we do: life, death, gods, sex, love, family, children, education, the nature of the world, our origins and development, the past, money, health, philosophical ideas, status, other cultures, friendship, power, patriotism, politics, law, crime, justice, empire and war"    (P. Jones)

Classical Civilisation is the study of the Ancient Greek and Roman World. Classics provides the opportunity to think broadly about the Ancient World; rather than focusing on just one part of this era, you’ll be learning about ancient literature, history, politics, culture, religion and more. This overarching approach helps teach students how to critically assess the world around them and encourages them to use these skills to see the modern world in a more holistic light.  

Is there coursework?

No, it’s all exam-based (3 exams at the end of the second year)

Do I need to have studied this subject at GCSE?

The vast majority of our intake have never studied the Classical World before, and Classical Civilisation is 100% in translation, so you don’t need any knowledge of any Ancient Languages. However, any prior knowledge you have of the Ancient World will be useful.

Does Classics involve a lot of reading?

Yes, in class and outside of lessons. However, there are plenty of opportunities to debate and discuss ideas and engage in paired work.

What does the exam look like?

The exam contains short answer questions (1 marks and 10 marks) as well as longer essays (20 marks and one 30 mark essay in each exam).

Which universities do your students go on to?

Many students go on to study at Russell Group Universities, and Oxbridge.