Key Stage 5 Classical Civilisation A-Level

Examination board specification: 315133-specification-accredited-a-level-classical-civilisation-h408.pdf (ocr.org.uk) 

Our A Level course provides students with a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. Students have the opportunity to study ancient literature (in translation), and acquire an understanding of the history and culture of the classical world.

The course is divided into three modules: The World of the Hero enables students to study the Odyssey and the Aeneid, two poems that detail the lives of the mythological heroes who survived the Trojan War, while the Greek Theatre module explores both the content and production of some of the earliest recorded plays. Our final part of the course, Politics of the Late Republic, looks at the increasingly turbulent politics of the Roman Republic, leading up to the creation of the Roman Empire.

These three modules reflect the broad nature of Classical Civilisation at A Level: The World of the Hero is an especially insightful course when studied alongside A Level English Literature, and Greek Theatre enables thespians and dramatists to discover the origins of drama as we understand it today. Politics of the Late Republic examines both the history and the politics of Rome, and has a considerable amount of cohesion with A Levels in History or Politics.

Where it leads?

This subject is held in high regard by both universities and employers. As a rather uncommon A Level course, lots of employers and university admissions tutors value an A Level in Classical Civilisation: the course provides evidence of critical thinking skills, and the ability to write logical and well-structured arguments. Many UK universities run courses in Classics and subjects related to the ancient world.