Depth of Knowledge: Pupils should extend and deepen their chronologically knowledge and understanding of British and World history. Pupils should identify significant events, make connections, draw contrasts, and analyse trends within periods and over long arcs of time. They should pursue historically valid enquiries and create relevant, structured and evidentially supported accounts in response. They should understand how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
Richness of experience: provide a wide range of trips and visits, as well as extracurricular opportunities for all
Strength of character: learning subject knowledge and scaffolding activities which are challenging and also promote independence and resilience in students. Self-reflection is embedded within lesson. Developing values and an understanding of bias, empathy and a sense of belonging (British values). Students are provided with leadership opportunities, such as delivering assemblies, becoming a Holocaust ambassador and leading the Historical Society.
As well as providing excellent academic History tuition, the department also offers a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular activities. These activities help students make sense of, and take responsibility for, their own learning and instil transferable interpersonal skills such as team working, time-management and organisational skills. Some of these groups and activities include:
- Scholarship Tasks for all year groups
- Year 9 – History/Geography Matrix Day
- Year 9 – Dora Love Prize, University of Essex (our students won this in 2020)
- Historical fiction book club for all Years
- Years 7 to 9 – the Historical Association historical fiction writing competition
- Years 12 and 13 – the Historical Association “The Great Debate” competition
- Year 12 – Lessons from Auschwitz Project
- Year 11 – one to one mentoring run by Year 12 subject prefects
The department is housed in well-equipped, light and airy classrooms, each with an interactive white board and visualiser.
The wide range of skills developed by History students are highly valued and create opportunities for many careers. The critical analysis of evidence and the ability to argue are an excellent preparation for business, administration and politics. The skills of the historian are also particularly suited to studying Law. History can be used directly in teaching, museum and heritage work and the tourist industry. It is also a popular theme in film and television. Several past students work as historians in the media, researching information, costume and period effects, or in journalism. History enables the budding journalist to write well and equips them with a wealth of good examples. The ability to analyse evidence, communicate effectively and structure an argument is also highly valued in many scientific careers.