Key Stage 5 resources

In collaboration with the Warwick Classics Network (WCN), we have been collating high-quality resources that are relevant to each of the modules on the A Level Classical Civilisation syllabus. Resources include relevant videos, presentations, podcasts, teaching resources and syllabus overviews covering each component of the course. 

Follow the links below for access:

The World of the Hero: Homer's Iliad/Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid

Culture and the Arts: Greek Theatre (H408/21), Imperial Image (H408/22), Invention of the Barbarian (H408/23) and Greek Art (H408/24)

Beliefs and Ideas: Greek Religion (H408/31), Love and Relationships (H408/32), Politics of the Late Republic (H408/33) and Democracy and the Athenians (H408/34)

Advocating Classics Education (ACE) is a UK-wide project aiming to extend qualifications in classical civilisation and ancient history across the secondary sector. 

In 2019, ACE prepared a series of introductory talks, delivered by leading academics and tailored specifically for the GCSE and AS/A-level classical civilisation syllabi.

Talks, Powerpoints and handouts for each A Level modules can be found here. 

In collaboration with the Warwick Classics Network (WCN), we have been collating high-quality resources that are relevant to each of the modules on the A Level Ancient History syllabus. Resources include relevant videos, presentations, podcasts, teaching resources and syllabus overviews covering each component of the course. 

Follow the links below for access:

Relations between Greek states and between Greek and Non-Greek states, 492-404 BC

The Politics and Society of Sparta, 478-404 BC

The Politics and Culture of Athens, c.460-399 BC

The Rise of Macedon, 359-323 BC

The Julio-Claudian Emperors, 31 BC-AD 68

The Breakdown of the Late Republic, 88-31 BC

The Flavians, AD 68-96

Ruling Roman Britain, AD 43-c.128

OCR Latin course syllabus: AS Level and A Level

OCR planning and teaching resources: a range of materials including teacher guides, transition guides and set text handbooks. 

Recommended textbooks: a list of textbooks (for both language and literature components of the A Level course) that have been endorsed by OCR

Latin Resources for Schools (University of Nottingham): Free downloads of extracts covering the selections from Cicero’s speech ‘Pro Milone’ on the OCR AS and A-Level Latin syllabus*, with each sentence showing grammatical structure, analysis of number and type of clauses, and description in terms of its contribution to the ongoing argument.

*N.B Owing to Covid-19, OCR is delaying the introduction of the new set texts originally intended for first teaching in September 2020. The current AS Level set texts will be assessed until 2021 while the current A Level set texts will be assessed until 2022. Nottingham's 'Pro Milone' resources will continue to be directly relevant to students for 1-2 more years. 

Free online Latin set text commentaries (University of Cambridge): Links to free online commentaries on Cicero, Tacitus and Virgil, useful for Latin students in Years 12 and 13.

The Perseus Project: Tufts University’s digital library project of humanities resources, including primary and secondary resources for the study of Ancient Greece and Rome, and catalogue of art and archaeology artefacts.

The Classics Library: This site hosts an extensive bank of teaching resources for all ages and stages. All of them were generously uploaded by teachers for free use by other teachers. They are securely password-protected with their own separate login, in order to help teachers with their planning and use. 

This site provides access to JACT teaching notes and back issues of the Journal of Classics Teaching (JCT). Other resources include audio files of GCSE and A-level set texts, reading lists and songs in Latin, as well as a collection of Roman and Greek artefacts which can be hired for use in the classroom. Teachers wishing to use the site need to register first here. 

OCR Classical Greek course syllabus: AS Level and A Level

OCR planning and teaching resources: a range of materials including teacher guides, transition guides and set text handbooks. 

Recommended textbooks: a list of textbooks (for both language and literature components of the A Level course) that have been endorsed by OCR

JACT Greek Summer School online resources: Although this year’s JACT Greek Summer School had to be cancelled, many of the summer school tutors have been busy producing Greek video resources. This content is completely free to access and will be available on the website indefinitely. It includes: 

• 10 language videos for beginners, starting with the very basics

• 10 videos on more advanced language topics (pitched at GCSE level and beyond)

• 5 mini-lectures (on topics linguistic, philosophical, historical, epigraphic, etc.)

• 5 textual readings/explorations of favourite passages

• A series of videos translating and exploring c. 200 lines of the key scenes of Oedipus the King.

Barefaced Greek makes fresh, new short subtitled films to celebrate classical Greek drama in performance. Their accessible shorts use text from Greek drama in the original language. They aim to invigorate the online presence of classical drama for an international audience, and inspire a love of the Greek language for new generations.

The Open University's new Learning Ancient Greek site contains a range of resources to support your study of the Ancient Greek language, whether you are a complete beginner or already making your first steps towards learning the language. The site includes resources to study alongside Reading Ancient Greek with Reading Greek: A Supplementary Study Guide for Teachers and Learners provided as well as interactive quizzes related to the content.

This Newcastle University resource is designed to support Key Stage 4 and 5 students as they begin to choose their Extended Project Qualification topic. It includes themes, possible questions, sources, material culture, references and weblinks for classics-related projects. 

A handy list of Radio 4 'In Our Time' podcasts which are relevant to classics, compiled by Andy Keen at Bristol Grammar School. Much recommended – real experts and real discussions. Particularly good as an introduction for students looking for a taste of classics. 

Discovering Ancient Greek and Latin gives a taste of what it is like to learn two ancient languages. It is for those who have encountered the classical world through translations of Greek and Latin texts and wish to know more about the languages in which these works were composed.

Content includes: Beginning Greek; Greek noun endings; Greek verb endings; Simple sentences and Reading Greek. 

FREE access to the course is now available through the Open University's Open Access site. Students can download a free statement of participation on completion. 

A comprehensive set of teaching materials exploring A Level Class Civ themes. Free to download here.