Classics

The design of the Latin with Classics curriculum was built around the idea and philosophy that Classical education should be accessible to everyone, not just to the 7% of students in the independent sector. Classics at HACH is not confined to the learning of Latin and Greek. The subject now includes the learning of Classical Languages as well as Ancient History- the study of the Greco-Roman world as a whole: its literature and history, its social and political development, its philosophy, art, architecture and technology. To this extent, we have designed our curriculum to create and develop lively, enquiring minds; by introducing students to a selection of the major achievements of the Greeks and Romans.  

In terms of the intent of language learning and advancing English literacy, the curriculum aims to introduce students to the subtleties of ancient languages in order to develop European awareness through an understanding of their cultural and linguistic heritage. Subsequently, this will enhance their command of language by requiring them to pay close attention to the relationship between concepts and the words and structures used to express them. Learning Latin or Greek should help pupils in their understanding and use of English; and, most obviously, by enriching students' understanding of English words formed, directly or indirectly, from Latin or Greek roots. 

Moreover, the Latin with Classics curriculum does not only target linguistic competency and awareness, but it is also imbued with elements that enrich students’ cultural and social capital. More specifically, students of classical subjects engage directly with the major cultural achievements of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, which have had an enduring influence on the Western world for two millennia.  

The Latin with Classics curriculum at HACH advocates and promotes at its core tolerance of other races, religions and ways of life. It is designed to help students understand critically the world in which they live; kindle their imagination through contact with the classical world and stimulate a personal response and judgment. Therefore, these embedded values such as an appreciation for human achievements and aspirations will lead to a strong foundation of classical subjects beyond the age of 16. 

 

We endeavour to develop students’ appreciation of literature through their contact with writings of different kinds and periods. This constitutes the cornerstone for KS3 and KS4 learning of the ancient world. The great advantage of Classics is the fact that it does not focus only on language like in modern foreign languages. Students are also equipped with skills to unlock the significance of literature that will help them be successful in discovering the influences of modern authors (e.g. Shakespeare) behind an ancient text, and consequently apply this knowledge to other subjects such as History and English. 

Lastly, our vision for the newly introduced GCSE in Ancient History which is rare to be offered in the state sector is to help students explore and appreciate the ancient world. It offers the chance to study some of the defining characters from history, including Alexander the Great, Cleopatra and Hannibal. Our curriculum provides a series of defining events in history such as the Battle of Thermopylae, the foundation of Rome and the creation of democracy. These cross-curricular references can be very powerful towards a more holistic education. This consequently will result in developing the ability of students to ask relevant questions about the past, to investigate issues critically and to make valid historical claims by using a range of ancient sources in their historical context. 

Key Stage 3

 

For the KS3 curriculum, we are following the Cambridge Latin course. Due to the lack of a prescribed national curriculum, this gave us the opportunity to implement an enriching, rewarding and modern syllabus that reflects the roots of our society. More specifically, we ensure greater coverage of the complex grammatical ideas that are directly linked and aimed at increasing students' English literacy and topics that students will be assessed on at the GCSE level and not only such as Roman daily life and how it influenced our society.  

 

Year 7

In Year 7, students are following Cambridge Latin book 1 and the story of a family before the eruption of Vesuvius. Students are introduced to Roman daily life and to basic Latin vocabulary and grammar. Every topic is permeated with an enquiry question about people’s lives in the ancient world (entertainment, religions, trade, and slavery) and students are required to utilise this knowledge by making comparisons between the Roman and the modern world critically evaluating similarities and differences. Students will be able to recognise the importance of subject and object in English and Latin sentences. This will reinforce their understanding of sentence structure in English and will enable students to translate simple subject-object-verb sentences and be aware of word endings and how they change based on their grouping.  

 

Year 8

In Year 8, students are following Cambridge Latin book 2 and the story of the only two survivors of the eruption of Vesuvius. Students are introduced to Roman Britain in 55 AD and to more complex vocabulary and grammatical concepts. Through the reading and translation of Latin stories, students will be able to recognise the importance of an inflected language and the major differences from English. Precisely, the use of adjectives, imperatives, cases and participles. At this stage, students should be familiar with 4 different grammatical tenses. Students are introduced to the Roman conquest of Britain and its consequences on the area. Students will understand further how the conquest of Britain led to the inevitable Romanisation of the country (after Boudicca’s Rebellion). A flashback in our narrative will also get students to explore Ancient Egypt and the 7 wonders of the ancient world.   

 

Year 9

In Year 9, students are following Cambridge Latin book 3 and the adventures of one of our Pompeian characters in Britain and his interactions with the client king Cogidubnus. Students will reinforce their understanding of the timeless influences of the Romans on the British culture and more specifically how they managed to merge Celtic with Roman customs and traditions (Roman Baths at Bath, ancient Celtic religions and the foundations of the Roman expansion and colonisation). Through the reading and translation of Latin stories, students will be able to recognise the importance of an inflected language and the idea of subjunctives in subordinate clauses. Precisely, the use of all cases including Ablative, indirect commands, questions, purpose and result clauses. Due to the increased difficulty of grammar students are provided with relevant English examples for each of the above topics which supports further their knowledge in how their own language functions.  By the end of the Key Stage 3 Classics curriculum at HACH, students will have obtained an accurate and broad understanding of Lain language and its history how this links to significant global events.   

Key Stage 4 Latin 

Year 10 

Pupils will begin their GCSE course. They will build on the foundations of KS3 and begin to master more complex language features such as different moods of verbs including subjunctives and how this is implemented with cum and ut/ne. One focus will be vocabulary learning: students will become more familiar with the GCSE prescribed vocabulary and knowledge of different sections of this will be assessed weekly through quizzes and tests. Students will gain an understanding of the topics that make the civilisation component of the Latin GCSE in Year 10.  The focus will be on writing skills and how to answer essay questions, but also the reading of Latin sources and authors. 

Year 11 

The WJEC Eduqas GCSE in Latin aims to provide a foundation in linguistic and cultural competence, enabling learners to gain knowledge and understanding of the Roman world through reading and responding to its language and literature. Most of the Year 11 curriculum is based on the introduction to the final component of the exam. Based on this, students are introduced to a range of authors and how to analyse an ancient text in its original language.  

In particular, this curriculum enables learners to:  

•Develop and deploy their knowledge of vocabulary, morphology and syntax in order to read, understand and interpret straightforward Latin  

•Develop their knowledge and understanding of Latin literature and its associated values and society through the study of original texts, adapted and abridged as appropriate  

•Select, analyse and evaluate evidence to draw informed conclusions from the literature studied to  

•Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the historical, literary and cultural context of a text and  

•Identify and appreciate its literary form and impact on the reader  

•Develop and apply their critical, analytical and reflective skills to evaluate evidence from a range of sources  

•Develop insights into the relevance of the Latin language, its literature and Roman culture to the modern world.  

It also encourages learners to:  

•Deploy their knowledge and understanding of the ancient language to deepen their understanding of English and other languages  

•Relate their knowledge and understanding of the ancient world to other disciplines  

•Develop research and analytical skills which will empower them to become independent students and enquirers, equipping them for further study in arts, humanities and sciences. 

KS4 in Ancient History 

Ancient History at Harris Chafford Hundred School aims to create knowledgeable, engaged and resilient learners; students who are equipped with a Historical understanding and skill set that allows them to develop and succeed beyond their own lived experiences. Within the GCSE students will study topics that push far beyond a British sphere of thinking and will challenge the students to always consider the relevance and significance of cultures and areas beyond a traditional, northern European narrative of History. Carefully selected optional units will allow students to study key figures from Ancient History, albeit in very new lights, and balanced source analysis will develop a deeper, more knowledgeable understanding of the ancient past and the intricacies of the world these characters inhabit.  

Year 10 

Students begin their Ancient History GCSE with a study of the Achaemenid Kings of the 6th C BCE. This unit is an excellent start point as it builds on a range of ideas already developed within the KS3 curriculum, such as Kingship, ‘Big Man Theory’, imperial developments and change over time. This unit studies four kings in succession and for each the students’ builds on increasingly detailed knowledge on the changes and developments each Achaemenid King made in terms of expansion; personality; infrastructure; and treatment of foreign peoples.The second unit in this year will consider the role and significance of the Classical figure, Alexander the Great. This topic, which is elective as a depth study, has a great chronological ‘flow’ from the period study of the Achaemenid kings, as it is Alexander who eventually topples this dynasty in the 4th C BCE.  

Students will utilise source analysis skills developed during KS3 to assess and analyse the character; achievements; and military successes of this key figure. Both units will be examined in the Y10 mock in June of the academic year. 

Year 11 

In a similar layout to the organisation of Y10, Y11 will also begin with the extended period study topic. This will be the study of the Foundations of Rome. Covering a larger time period than that studied in Y10, this unit will look to assess the changing picture of Rome from 753-404BCE, and students will study the military; political; social; and religious changes brought about in Rome as a result of the rule of Kings as well as the establishment of the Republic. This topic reflects issues and skill sets already established within the GCSE, for example, the role of significant individuals and the assessment of the reliability of source material. 

The second topic of Y11 will be the next elective depth study and will focus on the leadership of Cleopatra. This well-designed unit looks to separate this historical character from the sexualised and demonised representation we tend to see in the ancient sources, but analysing the quality of leadership she presents and the autonomy she demonstrates within the key relationships. The significance she holds for Rome and Egypt will be taken into consideration. 

This unit replicates the source analysis skills developed during Y10, as well as in ancient units within the KS3 curriculum, and allows students the time to simply hone and improve these skills as we move towards the final GCSE. 

Key Stage 5

Year 12 and Year 13 Ancient history  

Students at KS5 our units within this A-Level build nicely upon chronologies established within the Ancient History GCSE, as A-Level students study the Peloponnesian War in Y12 – following on from the Persia Kings unit in Y10- and then the Julio-Claudians in Y13 – following on from their study of Cleopatra in Y11. These compulsory units are complimented by deliberately varied, elected depth studies on Sparta and Ruling Roman Britain; studied in Y12 and Y13 respectively. Such units have been chosen to provide not only a chronological breadth to prove the expansiveness of Ancient History but to allow students to develop a keen respect for the different voices and worlds involved in this Classical discipline. 

With examination being focused on extended essay responses and detailed source analysis, students gain the opportunity to further develop an understanding of historical concepts such as change, continuity, causation, consequence and significance within the context of the historical periods studied. Additionally, students develop an awareness and understanding of relevant historical debates and how these can be investigated, helping them to build up their critical thinking skills that is of benefit to their studies in other A-level subjects. 

Key Stage 5

Latin at HACH gives students the key to rich and influential literature and to a range of modern languages. Historical context and Roman ideas and values are studied as part of the background to literature and language. Students will learn to think logically and analytically about language and literature and they will develop a critical approach to ideas of Roman society and compare them with those current today. 

Year 12

Students will study both language and literature: 

Language:  Students will build on their knowledge of the Latin language, specifically working with a wider range of vocabulary than covered at GCSE and with more complex sentence structures. There will be regular exercises in unseen translations and, as confidence increases, unseen comprehension, the aim being to help prepare for the two language exams at the end of the course. Our intention is to start a “bit of a step up from GCSE, but with lots of help” and move to “a bit trickier with not so much help” as we progress, but it’s not always an exact science. 

Literature: Students will study a selection from a Roman prose author and a Roman poet. In respect of the former, we’ll be looking at an extract from Cicero “Pro Cluentio” – a murder case and the crimes of Oppicianus. On the poetry side, we’ll be looking at parts of Catullus love poems”, demonstrating his passion, devotion for his love, Lesbia and his ultimate disappointment when this love is not mutual.  

Year 13 Latin 

Again, students will tackle language and literature: 

Language:  This is essentially a progression from the first year, with perhaps a bit more focus on the authors likely to be selected in the relevant final exam and on the traditionally more difficult poetry translation and unseen comprehensions. More focus will fall on verse unseen and scansions which comprises the most challenging aspect of the qualification. 

Literature:  There is a change on the prose author. Our prose text will come from Book 1 of Livy, histories of Rome and the period of the Tarquin Kings; whilst the verse, we will continue with Catullus exploring in depth a different range of poems beyond love. Although these poems sometimes seem quite superficial and their subjects often are mere everyday concerns, they are accomplished works of art.At the end of the course, students will tackle four externally assessed exams