Sixth Form Information Booklet Sept 2021

Page 18

S HER BO RNE GIR L S SIX T H FORM

CLASSICAL CIVILISATION

Why study Classical Civilisation? ‘The dazzling thought-world of the Greeks gave us our ideas of democracy and happiness.’ Here, Professor Edith Hall sums up why pupils should study Classical Civilisation: because it involves discussions that are directly relevant to today’s world. Focusing on the civilisations of Greece and Rome, this wide-ranging subject involves the study of literature, art and ancient thoughts and ideas. Pupils do not need to know any languages: all texts are studied in translation. Nor is any prior knowledge of the Greeks or Romans necessary. As well as classical knowledge, pupils acquire transferable skills such as analysing sources and developing independent, critical and evaluative approaches. They learn to formulate and support an argument and develop a valuable understanding of unfamiliar cultures. All of this makes Classical Civilisation an excellent way to develop a range of skills for further study and to support other academic interests. It goes well with other humanities as well as offering one humanities subject that covers a wide range of bases. Course content Pupils study three topics: The World of the Hero; Greek Art; Love and Relationships. The first topic explores both the Greek and Roman epic, with the study of Homer’s Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid. The works of Homer and Virgil explore the exciting tales of gods and heroes and are the foundations of Western literature and the cornerstone of classical culture. The second topic involves the study of visual sources – freestanding sculpture, architectural sculpture and vases. The 6th-4th centuries BC were a time of great change in the Greek world and this is reflected in the art that was produced. Pupils come to appreciate the profound influence Greek art exerts on later periods, not least in defining ideas of beauty and how architecture is used to give shape to the daily life of a society.

In Love and Relationships, pupils are encouraged to recognise and relate to the passions, frustrations and delights of love in the ancient world. The ethical questions raised by these ideas continue to be wrestled over by successive generations. In consequence, pupils have interesting and important discussions about love, desire, sex, sexuality and the institution of marriage. They are able to draw comparisons and make judgements about ideals and reality, and the nature of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ ways to love or be loved. The words of Sappho, Homer, Ovid, Plato and Seneca provide wonderful insights into the classical world, inspiring and challenging in equal measure. Will I enjoy it? Pupils enjoy discussion of classical life and thought, and the impact of the Greeks and Romans upon society. Questions discussed in lessons also arise in other subjects: what is heroism? What role does fate play in our lives? How should a man treat a woman (or vice versa)? How do we perceive beauty? What is art? What else should I consider? In the past, girls have had the opportunity to attend theatre, lecture and museum visits organised by the department. Classical Civilisation is a well-regarded subject that teaches many skills. As an A Level subject, it complements many other subjects, in particular History of Art, Theatre Studies, English and Religious Studies. The A Level is particularly valued not only by Classics departments but can often lead to the university study of Classics, Drama, English, History, History of Art, Philosophy and Politics. It is listed on UCL’s list of preferred A Level subjects and on Trinity College, Cambridge’s list of Generally Suitable Arts A Levels. It is a useful subject for degrees in Classical Studies and Philosophy – visit www.informedchoices.ac.uk. Information from UCAS shows that pupils who studied Classical Civilisation went on to pursue such diverse disciplines as Medicine, Veterinary Science and Chemistry. Pupils do not need to have studied GCSE Classical Civilisations to take it for A Level.

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A Social life

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page 76

Leiths

2min
pages 77-80

Boarding life

1min
pages 74-75

Adventure & Leadership

6min
pages 72-73

Drama, Music & the Arts

2min
pages 70-71

Co-Curricular opportunities

2min
page 66

Entrepreneurship

2min
page 67

A sporting life

1min
pages 68-69

Spanish

2min
page 63

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ

3min
pages 64-65

Sociology

1min
page 62

Religious Studies

3min
pages 60-61

Politics

1min
pages 56-57

Psychology

2min
pages 58-59

Physics

2min
pages 54-55

Physical Education

1min
page 53

Photography

2min
page 52

Music Technology

2min
pages 50-51

Music

2min
page 49

Language Proficiency Diplomas

1min
pages 47-48

Modern Languages

2min
page 46

Core Mathematics

1min
page 45

Mandarin Chinese

1min
pages 42-43

Mathematics

2min
page 44

History of Art

2min
pages 38-40

Latin

3min
page 41

History

1min
page 37

German

2min
page 36

French

2min
page 34

Geography

2min
page 35

Fine Art

2min
page 33

Film Studies (AS Level

2min
pages 31-32

English Literature

2min
page 30

Economics

3min
pages 28-29

Design Technology: Product Design

1min
pages 25-26

Drama and Theatre

2min
page 27

Classical Civilisation

3min
pages 18-20

Design Technology: Fashion and Textiles

2min
page 24

Computer Science

3min
pages 22-23

Classical Greek

2min
page 21

Chemistry

2min
page 17

Business

2min
page 16

Careers and Higher Education

2min
page 7

The Sixth Form curriculum

1min
pages 13-14

Biology

2min
page 15

Applying to the most competitive university courses

1min
page 11

Subject Choices

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page 12

Careers and Higher Education opportunities

3min
pages 8-10

Welcome to the Sixth Form

2min
page 5
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