11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi, I wonder if anyone has any comments on the relative merits, work load, stimulation and degree of difficulty of the OCR and WJEC Latin courses? I appreciate that the latter isn't currently a GCSE or IGCSE course and not counted for the ebac. Thanks.

I would be interested in hearing the answer to this too.

I have looked a little into Latin and it seems like one of the those subjects you can do incredibly well in if you get it. My DD is doing Latin and she is finding it incredibly hard. At the moment she is just getting a list of words (vocab) that she needs to remember what they mean but she is finding it no easy.

GCSE Latin has a very high level of A/A* grades and so if a child has an aptitude for it, then perhaps it can be more stimulating.

Is your DC doing Latin already Ourmainhavana?

Is WJEC offering some exams too, I thought OSR was the only exam board for GCSE???

Hi, my DS is doing the Galore Park Latin Course and doing very well in it. It is so clearly laid out, there are three books that take you through to GCSE level (whatever that might be in this day and age) and it concentrates hard on learning vocab and conjugating verbs and declining nouns correctly.
He moans a bit, I work through the exercises with him.
You can buy an answer book, but if you remember Latin from your school days (only a grade 9 but coming back to me rapidly) and keep a few steps ahead of him, or even, just do the book ahead of him anyway if you've never done it before, it is so logically laid out you won't need the answer book at all.
Interspersed with bits of Latin history in english like a comprehension piece requiring sentence answers, so good for that too!
I will certainly be buying books 2 and 3.
My friend is a classics graduate, and she says it is much better than Cambridge Latin.
Indeed, looked on a website with a curriculum for years 7 8 and 9, and was HORRIFIED to see that most of the Latin required seemed to be background info. I always thought that should be called "Classical Civilisation" and was for those that couldn't cope with Latin.
Obviously not.
Try it and see.
And, one good point is that Galore Park books are eminently resaleable, so if you don't mark it much, you can sell it on after you've used it. They are VERY popular as they are aimed at Common Entrance.

Latin is immediately useful in related MFLs (French, Spanish), sciences, medicine, generally to reinforce clear thinking patterns. Later on, some would say it can some in handy, though Greek, Hebrew and Sanskrit are also useful. At KS3, lots of contextual stories can help make "living" sense of the language and urge on the necessary "technical" side. By KS4 the language, prose and verse work will become a natural extension of that foundation. DCs used John Taylor for GCSE, with set texts and some ancient books for unseen translation we had.

A*s are very accessible provided a child takes to it. One of DC's best friends is very bright and a strong thinker, but was almost hopeless at Latin/Greek despite excellent teaching. Never hated it, but sensibly not a GCSE option there. IMHO even the best universities/ sixth form providers will "tolerate" the non-achievement of the EBacc if say History/Geography is substituted with Latin, Philosophy/Ethics, Ancient Greek or a second MFL... Unlike some "XYZ Studies/ogy" GCSEs.

Mine have no experience of Classical Civilisation, but have been told it's not really a soft option. Given the relative scarcity of outstanding/ experienced Ancient language teachers, and some children not able to start the subject until quite late on, it can be a good option. Post GCSE, both CC and Latin are on the Cambridge list of generally suitable subjects for Arts study. Unlike, for example, English Language, or Accounting, Law, Music Tech, Computing.

I thought OCR was the only GCSE exam board too. AFAIK there's no iGCSE Latin. Perhaps that's changed recently? For prospective Classics undergraduates, better to look to the Pre-U than A level, is what we've been advised.

HTH

Flicka, may I ask, are you doing the Galore Park Latin study on your own with your DC, or as supplementary work to what they do at school? Is your DC at a grammar? Some, but not all the grammars, and some, but not all, private schools, round here, do Latin and I would love, if my DC took to it, to encourage my DC to study it (currently in year 3 but planning ahead ).

Any advice/ experience would be very helpful.

sherry_d wrote: Is your DC doing Latin already Ourmainhavana?

Yes, he's doing the OCR. He really likes it because it's a new subject for him and he enjoys having a challenge. I actually studied it myself to 'A' level many moons ago and found it quite hard!!

sherry_d wrote: Is WJEC offering some exams too, I thought OSR was the only exam board for GCSE???

Yes, Sherry, the OCR is indeed the only exam board doing GCSE (and yes, there's no IGCSE) which is arguably a bit limiting.

I was interested to know more about the specific courses as I am a link governor for this subject and so wanted to glean some first hand info!!

Flicka interesting to hear about the alternative course, although presumably they still have to do the OCR GCSE?

PS Completely off topic but I also did Classical Studies and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't think it was particularly easy, basically Ancient History.