Sixth Form Options Booklet

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M J Bull Head of Classics mbull@mtsn.org.uk

Latin A Level and Greek A level are two separate options. The format of both is the same, so they are described here together. The A Levels in Latin and Greek, similar to the GCSE, are divided in two: half of the qualification is language, the other half is literature. If you have done both Latin and Greek at GCSE, you can choose both for A Level. Course Content Outline In both subjects, the Lower Sixth language course will be spent consolidating and extending your knowledge of GCSE grammar. There is not much extra content, but lots of exploration of exceptions to the rules, and more detailed explanations of some features. Some translation of English into Latin/Greek will be done, and plenty of translation of Latin/Greek into English. While the other half of the course is devoted to Literature, we have the opportunity to read more widely than the prescribed A Level texts. The first term of Lower Sixth will be spent reading a variety of authors, both prose and verse. These texts are usually decided between teacher and students; In Latin, these may include Catullus, Horace, and Virgil in verse, and Cicero, Suetonius, and Petronius in prose. In Greek, these may include Homer, Sophocles, and Aristophanes in verse, and Plato, Thucydides, and Xenophon in prose. This term will provide an overview of Classical literature and genre, and an excellent preparation for the study of A Level texts. For the prescribed literature, you will read a prose and verse text in Lower Sixth, and a prose and verse text in Upper Sixth. There is a choice of A Level texts, and in some cases a choice between a longer text with one author, or two shorter texts of two authors. Lower Sixth

In Latin, the prose authors offered for examination in 2026 are Cicero, Tacitus, and Pliny, and the verse authors are Virgil, Juvenal, and Ovid.

In Greek, the prose authors offered for examination in 2026 are Herodotus, Plato, and Plutarch, and the verse authors are Homer, Euripides, and Aristophanes.

Upper Sixth

The majority of the Upper Sixth year is devoted to reading texts and researching and discussing the wider background. Consolidation of the language continues during this year too. Who can do it? Each A Level is open to those who have studied the relevant GCSE. The GCSEs in Latin and Greek are tough, and therefore good preparation for A Level. Those who enjoy the GCSE course invariably enjoy A Level, as the skills required and the nature of the courses are similar, but more advanced, and with much more time to discuss and investigate.