Latin A Level

The challenge of A Level Latin develops naturally from the skills developed at GCSE.

There are two components:

Language

This is assessed by an unseen translation and a comprehension paper.

Literature

Prose and verse set texts are studied.

The prescribed literature covers a range of authors from the magnificent epic of Virgil to the witty love poems of Ovid or forensic speeches of Cicero to the dark politics of Tacitus history. The selection changes on a regular basis.

One verse and one prose text is chosen for study. You will examine the works more deeply than at GCSE and learn to evaluate the author’s techniques and ideas.

As the course involves both linguistic skills and appreciation of literature, it is a useful contrast to more technical or scientific subjects. It can also enrich the study of other humanities subjects such as English, History, Religious Studies and Modern Languages.

Latin is a highly regarded subject by universities and employers, especially for degree courses in Law, History, English and Modern Languages.

Employer surveys show that Classics graduates are successfully entering many different industries, particularly IT and the financial sector.

Academically, it is expected that students entering Birkdale’s Sixth Form will have achieved a minimum of 5 passes (9 to 5) at GCSE, with at least 4 at grade 6 or higher; we would expect 6 or higher GCSE grades in those subjects being studied to A level. A grade 6 is required to study A Level English and Mathematics, although a grade 7 is preferred in Mathematics. Prospective Further Mathematicians should achieve a grade 7 in GCSE Mathematics although a grade 8 is preferred. In addition at Birkdale we look beyond the academic and would wish applicants to become fully involved in the life of the school, offering their skills and abilities in one or more of a number of areas (e.g. drama, sport, music, clubs and societies, etc).