Did you know that Cheney has the only dedicated Classics Centre in the country? Meet Dr Robinson who will tell you more about it.

 

Classics, the study of the languages and civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome, is a flourishing area of learning at Cheney School.  The school is unique amongst UK schools in hosting a dedicated Community Classics Centre, which includes a large lending library and a wide collection of original and replica artefacts.

The Classics Centre runs a number of fascinating projects, events, talks, workshops, exhibitions and evening classes for both Cheney students and the wider community.  Students have recently been to Hadrian’s Wall, The London Amphitheatre and the Ashmolean, as well as to venues such as the National Theatre to see classical or classically inspired performances. A wide range of trips and outings are planned throughout the year.

The School also offers Latin as a curriculum option from Year 8, and students can then opt to choose Latin GCSE , Classical Civilisation A Level and Latin A Level, all of which are delivered by a team of dedicated classicists.

KEY STAGE THREE

Cheney students have the option of choosing Latin in Year 8. During this year, they are introduced to Latin using Telling Tales in Latin which introduces the ancient language in a lively, clear, and accessible way alongside much loved classical stories. They are also introduced to a range of classical civilisations and topics, from the Minoans and Mycenaeans to Plato's philosophy.

They have the opportunity to attend workshops and talks, go on trips to heritage sites and museums, take part in archaeological and museum-based projects and many other aspects.

To see the blog for the Year 8 class, as an output from their Classics class – https://apolloandartemis.blog/

KEY STAGE FOUR

In Year 9 or 10, students are able to choose to take Latin GCSE. The course is taught twice a week after school for two years, taking place on Mondays and Wednesdays 8.30 - 9.00 am and then 3 - 4.30pm

The OCR Latin GCSE course is divided into two disciplines, language and literature. Lessons are dedicated to studying syntax, grammar, vocabulary and unseen translations, and also in-depth analysis of powerful and influential Roman prose and verse authors.

The course is both challenging and highly rewarding; students will find that the skills acquired from a GCSE in Latin will help them in a number of their other GCSE options.

Students are extremely fortunate to be able to benefit from the many talks, plays , museums and other events held in the city of Oxford, both at the Faculty of Classics and at Cheney School’s own Classics Centre.

There is also the opportunity to go on trips to places such as Hadrian’s Wall and take part in the many exciting events and projects offered through the Classics Centre at Cheney School.

KEY STAGE FIVE

Latin at A-Level allows students to deepen their knowledge of Ancient Roman culture and literature, and to improve the language skills developed for GCSE.

The authors vary from year to year: recently these have been Catullus, Virgil, Ovid, Horace and Cicero. These authors wrote works which have had a deep and lasting influence upon many later societies and the Latin A-Level course offers the opportunity to study them in depth, exploring the beauty of their language and also the context within which their greatest works were written. The course provides an excellent grounding. The examinations on the literature include passages for comment and criticism, translation into idiomatic English and an essay on one of the major themes illustrated in the text.

Students are extremely fortunate to be able to benefit from the many talks, plays , museums and other events held in the city of Oxford, both at the Faculty of Classics and at Cheney School’s own Classics Centre.

There is also the opportunity to go on trips to places such as Hadrian’s Wall and take part in the many exciting events and projects offered through the Classics Centre at Cheney School.

Classical Civilisation A Level is offered at A Level.

This course covers a broad and exciting range of topics and eras, starting with the mysterious Minoan and Mycenaean Civilisations around 1600 – 1100BC. Students will learn some Linear B and be introduced to the epics of Homer. It then covers the flowering of culture, literature, democracy and philosophy of 5th Century BC Athens.

Students will also explore 1st Century BC Rome, one of the most fascinating time periods of the Roman Civilisation, where they will be introduced to authors such as Ovid and Virgil, and learn about the complex political settings of these works of literature.