Introducing Classical Civilisation at AS and A Level
Gill Heyes - ARLT Day, York, March 2005
The initial assumption was that Classical Civilisation had not been taught in the school before and there may
be no tradition of teaching the subject at GCSE.
The Classics department may well be small and have concentrated hitherto on teaching Latin or Greek.
In the event all the participants had some experience of teaching Classical Civilisation, but most had
recently moved to new schools where there was a change of exam board or where the subject was taught,
staffed or managed differently.
Target students
 Those who have taken Latin GCSE and have an interest in the Classical world. Some of these students
may not feel they have the linguistic skills to continue Latin to AS. Others may wish to study both
subjects.
 Those who have not studied any Classical subject before but have an interest in certain aspects of the
Classical world eg: drama, art, architecture or archaeology.
 Those who have mediocre results in their GCSEs and think Classical Civilisation might be an area
where they can succeed (“I haven’t failed it yet” as the cynic might say).
Staffing
This is the single most important aspect of setting up a course with so many diverse modules. There are
three options.
 Use your existing Classicists
 Use the interest and expertise of non-specialist members of staff such as the history and art departments,
possibly also English or drama.
 The third possibility is to run the course in conjunction with another school particularly if there are two
sister schools or similar within easy travelling distance.
Discussion on this was also followed by some debate as to whether it was preferable to teach all three AS
modules simultaneously or complete one module before moving on to the next. A few teachers felt that the
latter was certainly preferable –especially if January exams are available (OCR only)- but agreed that,
because of timetabling considerations, this could only happen if taught by the same member of staff.
Choice of exam board and specifications
Only AQA and OCR now offer Classical Civilisation in England and Wales. AQA are due to withdraw all
examinations in Latin and Greek, but will keep Classical Civilisation.
OCR offers the JACT syllabus. It is also the only board to set examinations in certain modules in January.
Otherwise it is largely a question of which modules (a) you prefer and (b) you can staff. The topics cover
generally the same areas and both boards ensure that a mixture of Greek and Roman topics must be studied.
You may have a personal preference for Antigone and Oedipus Rex (AQA) over Agamemnon (OCR) and
vice versa, but this is only one amongst several other considerations.
My impression is that the OCR specifications emphasise the synoptic nature of the A2 level examination and
their choice of A2 modules is rigorously dependent upon what has already been studied at AS. For example
if you take either Greek or Roman history at AS you are required to offer Greek and Roman historians at
A2. However AQA do set their questions to include a synoptic element.
The choice between Latin and Classical Civilisation
If you are forced to make such a choice for timetabling considerations you may be choosing between a very
small AS Latin group 2/3 and a much larger Classical Civilisation group. We cannot nowadays afford the
luxury of being purists – the language at all costs and there are numerous benefits in teaching Classical
Civilisation.
 As a Classicist one’s interests tend to go beyond pure language work and there is much in classical
literature that can be appreciated and enjoyed through translation.


University Classics courses almost all include papers on Greek and Roman history and topics of general
classical interest. As students we were expected to take an interest in history, drama, philosophy and art.
How natural that we should want to share all this with our students.
Classics benefits from having students from wider backgrounds.
Problems
 It is imperative that potential students understand that Classical Civilisation requires skills of literary
criticism and historical analysis. If students really did not like English literature or history at GCSE,
then maybe this is not the subject for them.
 Classical Civilisation is a subject which requires just as much academic rigour as Latin, English, history
etc. Before deciding that Greek pottery or sculpture or even Minoan archaeology sounds fun to do, look
very carefully at your staffing. Have you personally studied these topics in similar depth to, say, epic or
satire? Has your colleague in the art department sufficient understanding of what Greek art or
architecture represents in the context of that civilisation?
 Although you may have some students with a knowledge of the Classical world the vast majority may
never have heard of Agamemnon, Odysseus and Achilles – let alone be able to spell their names.
(Hollywood has of course done its best to rectify this!) You have to be prepared to start at a much more
elementary level than you may be expecting – but to produce a class which can express its appreciation
and understanding in a coherent manner within a few months.
 Your own favourite Classical topic may well not be one which proves easy for the students. For some
reason they find Athenian democracy and Alexander the Great much easier to get their heads round than
the life and times of Cicero or Athenian Imperialism.
Coursework
This may be new to you as it is not yet compulsory, as far as I am aware, in Latin and Greek. The
specifications for both boards are very helpful in their guides to marking. I personally found the exam board
INSET very helpful – it was actually mandatory at the time. Other teachers in the group found the board
representative uninformed and unhelpful.
Finally ….
 If you can possibly ensure that all modules are taught by a Classicist or someone whose specialist
knowledge is combined with a good knowledge of its context in the classical world, then your students
will benefit.
 If you have had to lose Latin AS in order to run Classical Civilisation, then try to tempt some students to
take Latin AS as well, but over two years.
Remember that you are going to spend two years reading and enjoying Oedipus or Agamemnon, the Aeneid
and Homer, Aristophanes and Thucydides. You can visit and perform plays –you can follow Michael Wood
or even Colin Farrell in the footsteps of Alexander, you can visit museums, galleries and sites in Britain and
abroad – and for this you get paid a salary!
Postscript: Specifications for both boards can be downloaded from their websites.
www.ocr.org.uk and www.aqa.org.uk/qual/gceasa/claC.html
Gillian Heyes