Course information
Classical Civilisation
Mander Portman Woodward School - Kensington and Chelsea
02078351355
90-92 Queen's Gate, LONDON, SW7 5AB
Course summary

The classical world of the Greeks and the Romans is the bedrock of our civilisation today. They have provided us with everything from plays and philosophy to art and aqueducts. Like our immediate predecessors, we find it hard not to look back upon their times without a sense of awe at what they achieved. We bear the fruits of the Greeks’ enquiries into the world around us in the names of the subjects we study today, such as mathematics, history, and physics. We have the Romans to thank for the urban and social infrastructure we take for granted, such as our streets, sanitation and law courts. By studying Classical Civilisation at A level, you will become familiar with many aspects of the ancient world. You will look at them as they saw themselves, through epic poems, tragedies and comedies. In studying them, you will come to understand the historical, political and social context in which they are set. Even though you will not be working in Latin or Greek, you will also come to appreciate the beauty of the language in which they wrote. In the first year, you will study two components. In Component 1 (The World of the Hero), you will study Homer’s Iliad, one of the foundational texts of Greek culture. You will examine the concept of a hero through the values and behaviour displayed by the Iliad’s characters. You will look at the wider social, cultural and religious context and the relationships between gods, men, women and slaves. In Component 2 (Culture and the Arts), you will learn about Greek theatre: you will read the tragedies Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Euripides’ Bacchae, along with Aristophanes’ satirical comedy, Frogs. In the second year, you will study two more components. You will study a second text in Component 1 (The World of the Hero): Virgil’s Aeneid. Drawing upon your knowledge of Homer, you will consider the influence of the Greek epic on the Roman epic. In Component 3 (Beliefs and Ideas), you will study love and relationships in the ancient world. You will learn about a wide range of attitudes to sexuality and gender in ancient Greece and Rome.

Entry requirements

To be eligible for the MPW University Foundation Programme you must: • Be aged 17+ at the start of the programme* • Entry requirements: Successful completion of local high school (either 11 or 12-year system) with good grades • Meet our English entry requirements: • January 2 term programme 5.5 IELTS or equivalent (with no less than 5.0 in any single band) – Pearson PTE (42-49), TOEFL iBT (46-59) or Cambridge (162) also accepted. • September 3 term programme 5.0 IELTS or equivalent (with no less than 4.5 in any single band) – Pearson PTE (36-41), TOEFL iBT (35-45) or Cambridge (154) also accepted.

How you'll be assessed

For the A level, there are three examinations. The first is on Component 1 (The World of the Hero), in which you will answer questions on Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. The second is on Component 3 (Culture and the Arts) in which you will answer questions on the imperial image. The third is on Component 3 (Beliefs and Ideas), where you will answer questions on the politics of the Late Republic. All papers contain a range of questions, from those requiring short answers to longer essay questions. Paper 1 is worth 40% of the marks and lasts 2 hours 20 minutes. Papers 2 and 3 are each worth 30% of the marks and last 1 hour and 45 minutes.

School Info

About Education Provider

RegionLondon
Local AuthorityKensington and Chelsea
Ofsted Rating
Gender TypeCo-Educational
ISI ReportView Report
Boarding FeeUnknown
Sixth Form Fee£34,233
Address90-92 Queen's Gate, LONDON, SW7 5AB