In Years 7 and 8 all pupils study Latin using the new reading course, Suburani. We are proud to be in the vanguard of schools teaching this excellent course, which provides a sound foundation of linguistic knowledge presented through lively stories featuring a diverse cast of characters. Pupils learn about the city of Rome itself and much of its cultural life, as well as ancient history and myths. In year 8 the stories are focused on Roman Britain and the Boudica rebellion, providing opportunities to explore the wider Roman empire, trade, conquest, and administration. Following dramatic events in Rome, the characters are parted, and we follow the young heroine as she travels west to what is now southern France and then Portugal.

Students continue to study Latin in Year 9. In this year group, they are divided into groups working at varying paces to suit their needs. They will continue to study Suburani. There is also the opportunity to study some Classical Civilisation topics in more detail such as the Roman Army, the epics of Homer and Greek drama.

A taster course in Classical Greek is offered to the top sets.

As part of their study of Roman Britain, pupils visit the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, where they can see a wealth of Romano-British artefacts, including an impressive collection of mosaics and interactive displays. They also participate in a workshop recreating the lives of ancient people based on archaeological evidence.

Latin GCSE (Eduqas) offers students the opportunity to study elements of the language, literature, and civilisation of the Roman world; it aims to provide a rigorous, academic course that is not only satisfying in itself but will also provide a sound foundation for further study.

Students will develop an appropriate level of competence in the Latin language and a sensitive and analytical approach to language in general. They will read and appreciate some of the literature of the first century BC and first century AD in the

original and will learn how to evaluate, analyse, and produce a personal response to the verse and prose set texts. They will also gain an insight into certain aspects of Roman civilisation and the continuing influence it has had on our own.

The Classics department aims to foster an interest in all aspects of the classical world, beyond the curriculum, by means of external lectures and trips.

Assessment

The GCSE assessment will consist of three written examinations at the end of the course which will testability in translation, comprehension, knowledge of the set texts and visual sources. The marks are weighted equally between language and literature/civilisation. There is no coursework or controlled assessment. To find out more see: www.eduqas.co.uk

Classical Greek (OCR J292)

Classical Greek GCSE is also available and generally taught as an extra-curricular subject. Any student who wishes to follow this course needs to be a keen linguist, who is extremely industrious and willing to rise to the challenge. It is a very rewarding course. To find out more see: www.ocr.org.uk

The format of the examinations is similar to that of GCSE Latin.