The King's (The Cathedral) School

  • Welcome to our school

    Welcome to The King’s School. We are proud of our long-standing history and tradition going back to 1541 and embrace everything the modern world has to offer, as we look towards the future. We value, and strive to encourage, individual academic success, alongside musical, cultural and sporting achievements, within the Christian family ethos, which is central to everything we do. Our aim is to be “A Family Achieving Excellence”.  Read More

  • Music at King's

    We enjoy a deserved reputation for musical excellence.  As The Cathedral School, we educate the Peterborough Cathedral Choristers; the School benefits not only from their professionalism but also from the talents and enthusiasm of so many other able musicians, who perform in an extensive range of orchestras, choirs, bands and ensembles  in school, in the wider community of  Peterborough and on tour abroad.  Read More

  • Sport at King's

    We are committed to breadth and quality within Physical Education; it helps develop self-esteem, dignity and respect for all members of our community.  It is crucial to students’ personal development, and plays a significant role in our curricular and extra-curricular life. Read More

  • Teaching & Learning

    Central to every student's progress is the quality of Teaching & Learning. We aim to offer excellence both in the classroom and within a King’s education in its broadest sense, combining the best of modern thinking and technological developments with strategies which have stood the test of time, to prepare our young people to go out with confidence and enthusiasm to face the challenges of today’s world. Read More

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Classics

Classics is the study of both the Greek and Roman worlds between 1200BC and 500AD. Within Classics there are 4 distinct subject areas: Ancient History, Classical Civilisation, Greek and Latin. At The King’s (The Cathedral) School we study Classical Civilisation and Latin.
 

'ad astra per humanitatem ac linguam, cum arte etlabore (atque cum Caecilio in horto)'

 
We believe it is important to use a wide variety of approaches to learning Classical subjects and include a wide range of different types of learning activities. These include creative, dramatic and imaginative tasks as well as written, analytical and reading tasks. The subject also develops a wide range of skills through the study of the language, history and culture of the Greeks and Romans and the study of their literature and the artefacts they created.
 

KS3

In year 7 pupils are given a taster lesson of Latin and a taster lesson of German in order to make an informed choice as to which they would like to study in years 8 and 9.
 
Those pupils who opt to do Latin begin studying the Cambridge Latin Course Book 1. This book is set in Pompeii in 79AD and follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of Caecilius, Metella and their household. The book covers the basics of the Latin language and introduces civilisation topics like baths, theatre, gladiators and houses.
 
In year 8 pupils get the chance to design their own poster advertising gladiator games. In year 9 pupils complete their study of Book 1 and then go onto Book 2 of the Cambridge Latin Course which is set in Roman Britain and Roman Alexandria. During year 9 they also get the chance to go to the Museum of London and the British Museum to develop their knowledge of Roman Britain. In year 9 pupils get the chance to design their own mosaics and create their own movies about Life in Roman Britain.
 
Every other year pupils are given the chance to go to Italy - either the Bay of Naples or Rome.
 

KS4

Those pupils who have studied Latin in years 8 and 9 have the opportunity to continue to study it in years 10 and 11. It is currently offered in two option columns.
 
We currently prepare students to sit exams for the WJEC Level 2 certificates in Latin Language and Roman Civilisation and Latin Literature
 
This means they will get the equivalent of two GCSEs. There are also extra resources that can be found on the Cambridge School Classics Project website.
 
Every other year there is the opportunity to go to Italy - either to the Bay of Naples or to Rome.
 

KS5

We offer A Level Classical Civilisation to any students who are interested – there is no requirement to have studied a Classical subject beforehand. We follow the OCR A Level Specification. The Classical Civilisation course covers four units:
 

City Life in Roman Italy – we study the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia to understand what they can reveal to us about the lifestyle of the Romans.

Greek tragedy in its Context – we study four Greek plays to understand how they were performed, how characters were depicted and what we can learn about Greek beliefs and principles.
 

Virgil and the World of the Hero – we study parts of The Iliad by Homer and The Aeneid by Virgil to understand the concept of a hero in the ancient world, the importance of the Trojan War and its aftermath throughout Classical culture and the importance of Aeneas founding the Roman people.

Greek Art and Architecture – we study the development of vase painting and sculpture in Greek society and also the architecture of sanctuaries and the significance of those spaces for Greeks.
 
For those students who have studied Latin to GCSE Level there is the possibility of taking one Latin module and one Class Civilisation module each year at A Level and gain an A Level in Classics.
 
We aim to take students to see at least one Greek play during the year and year 13 go to the British Museum as part of their Greek Art and Architecture Unit.
 

Department Staff

Anna Karsten Curriculum Area Manager Classics
PGCE & MA in Classics and Archaeology
 
Ayesha Als-Murchie Teacher of Classics
PGCE & BA in Classics