What is this programme?

The Level 2 Diploma in Classical Liberal Arts is a 2–3 year structured course designed to give students an authentic Catholic classical education.

It teaches the Seven Liberal Arts, the traditional foundation of learning, alongside Philosophy and Theology, forming the intellect in truth and the character in virtue.

This programme is designed especially for home-educated students (ages 13–16), offering an academically rigorous pathway. (It would be roughly equivalent to 3–4 GCSEs.)

Why this matters

In the UK, classical education is often unavailable within recognised qualifications. Families must either:

• Use inconsistent overseas programmes, or

• Study GCSEs “through a classical lens” (which is not the same as a true classical curriculum)

This diploma provides a clear, structured, and authentic alternative.

What students will study

The course is divided into three main areas:

1. The Trivium

• Grammar

• Logic

• Rhetoric

2. The Quadrivium

• Arithmetic

• Geometry

• Astronomy

• Music

3. Philosophy & Theology

• Moral Philosophy - ethics and virtue

• Sacred Scripture and catechetical works

Programme Structure

Duration: 2–3 years
Total Credits: 36
Total Study Time: ~360 hours

How it is taught

The course is delivered online via a structured learning platform and includes:

• Step-by-step lesson modules

• Teacher-led video explanations

• Weekly quizzes and exercises

• Written assignments and feedback

• Optional tutor support

• Clear progress tracking

Content is carefully scaffolded and accessible, even when studying challenging classical texts.

Core Reading Texts

Students engage directly with great works of the classical tradition, adapted where necessary.

Trivium

Grammar

• Traditional grammar texts (adapted from William Lily’s English and Latin Grammar)

Logic

• Isagoge – Porphyry

• Categories – Aristotle

• On Interpretation – Aristotle

• Prior Analytics - Aristotle

Rhetoric

• The Art of Rhetoric – Aristotle

• De Oratore - Cicero

• De Doctrina Christiana - St Augustine of Hippo

Quadrivium

Arithmetic

• Introduction to Arithmetic – Nicomachus

Geometry

• Elements – Euclid

Astronomy

• On the Heavens – Aristotle

Music

• De Musica - Boethius

Philosophy and Theology

Moral Philosophy

• Aesop’s Fables

• Characters – Theophrastus

• Nicomachean Ethics – Aristotle

Theology

• Sacred Scripture (selected books and passages)

• Catechical works (core teachings and commentaries of the faith)

What students will gain

Students will develop:

• Clear and logical thinking in the scholastic method

• Moral understanding and ethical judgement

• A deep familiarity with foundational texts of Western civilisation

• A fully recognised RQF Level 2 Diploma in Classical Liberal Arts (roughly 3-4 GCSEs equivalency)

Assessment

Assessment is continuous and supportive:

• Weekly quizzes and short tasks

• Written responses and text analysis

• Extended assessment questions

• Final exam

Who is this primarily aimed for?

• Home-educated students (ages 13–16)

• Families seeking a serious and authentic Catholic classical education

• Parents who may wish to learn alongside their children

Final Note

This diploma offers a rare opportunity: to study the classical liberal arts as they were meant to be taught, while still working towards a recognised and structured qualification.

This diploma is not a modern invention, but is rooted in a long and well-established educational tradition.

The structure of the programme reflects the classical model of education found in:

• The Ratio Studiorum (1599), by the Jesuits, which systematised the teaching of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric across Europe

• The writings of Isidore of Seville, particularly Etymologiae, which preserved and transmitted the framework of the Seven Liberal Arts

• The wider classical and medieval tradition, where the Trivium and Quadrivium formed the essential preparation for Philosophy and Theology

It is within this same tradition that great thinkers and saints, such as Thomas Aquinas, were educated, forming minds capable of rigorous reasoning, deep contemplation, and the pursuit of truth.

These sources demonstrate that the course is based on historically proven methods of education, developed over centuries to form clarity of thought, depth of understanding, and strength of character.

In recovering this structure, the diploma offers students the opportunity to participate in an educational tradition that shaped Western civilisation, while pursuing a clear and rigorous modern qualification.

It is hoped that this programme will provide a clear and much-needed solution to the current challenges faced by families seeking an authentic classical education within the UK system.