The study of Latin can often be misunderstood for an unspoken language; however, Latin is very much relevant to the 21st Century and has underpinned Western society for over two millennia. Reading Latin at King’s gives you the opportunity to be part of a small and somewhat elite group of academics with only 8000 pupils taking GCSE Latin each year across the country.

In continuing with Latin you will be following in the footsteps of the greatest minds of our culture and gaining an appreciation for literature and the foundations of all narratives. You will be able to understand, evaluate, and analyse language while enjoying engaging and exciting stories about the ancient past. The subject is well-respected, considered an intellectual challenge, and is a unique preparation for the study of any A level: it gives an understanding of linguistics and so is helpful in studying any language.

Latin teaches a methodical approach to problem-solving which is helpful in every area of life, particularly Maths and the sciences. It gives an acquaintance with the aesthetics of language and so gives another dimension to studying creative subjects. More importantly, it is a thoroughly rewarding subject in its own right being intellectually stimulating and aesthetically satisfying at the same time. Latin is so much more than an unspoken language, but a language which demonstrates the learner’s ability to be flexible in their thinking, creative in their problem solving, and intuitive in their literature analysis. Latin will make you stand out from the crowd and will always hold its weight as a GCSE.

In the course we carry out a thorough and systematic study of the Latin grammar necessary for the GCSE, building naturally on the work done in Remove. We have elected to follow the Eduqas course which provides engaging content for the pupils and also gives us the opportunity to investigate and explore Roman culture – an essential blessing when we consider our school trip to Rome and the Bay of Naples.

Assessment is carried out in three written papers:

Language Paper – 1 hour 30 minutes

• A comprehension and translation of unseen Latin prose.

Literature Paper – 1 hour 15 minutes

• Pupils will respond to Latin literature of both prose and verse, on a theme, together with ancient source material. The themes for 2024-2026 will be Love and Marriage.

Literature & Culture Paper – 1 hour

• Involving a study in English of aspects of Roman civilization. We will be exploring either the City of Rome or Roman Family Life.

Examination Board: Eduqas
Specification: Route B – Including Roman Civilisation

Mr C. Carroll – Head of Classics