GCSE OCR Latin Set Texts Guides
Verse Literature 2025–2026
Translations and textual analysis of Verse set texts for the GCSE exams in 2025-26. Each text is broken down into manageable chunks, translated into English and accompanied by meaningful notes on style, grammar and literary effects.
For each section of the text:
- Aided translation activity – suggested word order, additional vocabulary and comprehension questions all support students in making sense of the Latin
- Widely spaced Latin text next to clear translation – perfect balance between literal, easy-to-follow translations & an eloquent rendering of the text
- Detailed student-friendly notes deepen their appreciation of the text
- Overview and biographical notes put the work in context
- Key technical vocab highlighted – glossaries included
- Practice Exam Questions with mark schemes – fully prepare your students for the exams!
Share with others:
What do teachers say about this resource? (11960)
I would definitely buy this. I thought this was an excellent resource, well up to the standard one has come to expect of ZigZag materials. It impressed both on the micro level e.g. good contrast of fonts, as well as the macro level eg knowledge of examiners’ reports, and numbers over the Latin beneficial to weaker students.
This is a useful resource that includes a good range of information to help teachers and students prepare the set texts.
The translation is accurate and close to the original, yet still highly readable.
It helps me prepare lessons with confidence.
It can be photocopied and shared at discretion with the students instead of having to give full book.
It matches OCR very well.
This is a very timely resource and perfect for producing a new scheme of work for the new literature in the exams. Thank you so much! I liked that it covered Baucis et Philemon / Otium entirely and provided a good springboard for me to teach from or for students to undertake further independent study. The resource covers the Verse A set texts components well and will act as a good frame of reference/scheme or work for teaching those texts.
Fantastic to have 2 mock papers! Particularly like the fact that they are focused on different halves of the syllabus. Very helpful.
What do teachers say about this resource? (11823)
On the whole I thought this was an excellent resource. It is ahead of the market and was well illustrated, which leavened the in depth factual material. I also liked the page numbers which made for easy cross-reference. It enhances learning by stretching the more capable, while providing a framework re word order for those who find Virgil difficult. Its educational value is to provide everything a student/teacher might want thus giving reassurance, without being patronising.
This is a fantastic resource... I found it to be a comprehensive overview of the content required for the Virgil unit of the exam, with a mix of exam-appropriate activities. I particularly liked the use of sources scattered through the resource to break up the texts. The paintings in particular are a nice touch to encourage secondary-source discussion. It is a super comprehensive overview of the entire topic, which makes most planning and delivery easy. The information is comprehensible enough that an absent student will be able to catch up independently.