CHRISTOPHER WHITEHEAD
LANGUAGE COLLEGE AND SIXTH FORM
WELCOME TO CWLC SIXTH FORM!
LUCY TRIGG | SIXTH FORM STUDENT
Classical Civilisations – I enjoyed the course at GCSE greatly and it linked my other A-Levels perfectly. It has been my favourite subject so far and enjoy the literature we study – ‘The Odyssey’ is fascinating and the trio of Greek plays are emotive and interesting.
WHY CHOOSE A-LEVEL CLASSICS?
Classical Civilisation is the study of the ancient world, usually dating pre 500AD, and encompasses a broad range of ancient areas, like history, literature, art, architecture and philosophy. Studying Classics tells us about what life was like in the past, but it also provides an anchor to the rest of the world, and humanity, and the thoughts and dreams and desires and fears and anger and hopes of those who came before us. It is a privilege to be able to explore this mad, wondrous world, and it is a privilege to be able to gain that sense of perspective on the curiosity of (wo)mankind.
It is an unusual, yet nevertheless immensely interesting subject, and is only taught at two state schools in Worcestershire.
WHY STUDY A-LEVEL CLASSICS AT CWLC?
Classics A Level is taught by expert teachers who have a genuine passion for the subject. A student at CWLC will enjoy studying topics such as Love and Relationships in the ancient world (the only state sixth form in Worcester to do such a diverse topic!) and Greek Theatre, as well as diving into the world of epic poetry in the Odyssey and the Aeneid. Classics students will also enjoy a dedicated classroom specifically for the subject, including a well-stocked subject library.
Students will also have the opportunity to go beyond the exam paper:
- Trips to the British Museum and other ancient sites in the UK
- Lectures and talks provided by experts in the ancient world
- Trips to Greece and Rome
- Opportunities to go and see Ancient Greek plays such as Antigone or Oedipus Rex in local theatres.
- The opportunity to learn some Latin as an extracurricular option.
WHAT COULD YOU DO NEXT?
Classics is an extremely well-regarded subject that can aid the study of many degrees. It is a subject that has been studied by a wide variety of professions, from lawyers, to doctors, authors and singers, to recent Prime Ministers! It can be studied alongside all sorts of different subjects, and has links to not just humanities such as English, History, Politics, RS, and Geography, but to the Sciences as well. Many of our students study Classics alongside a wide variety of A-Level choices. It helps to develops skills of inference, argument, and evaluation, and provokes a real curiosity for learning that employers and university admission tutors are keen to see. We have in recent years seen Classics students go on to study at a variety of universities, including Classics degrees at Cambridge University.