“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life unless it is woven into the lives of our ancestors by the records of History.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero
The aims of the History Department
- To generate interest and enjoyment of History for its own sake rather than as a subject that has to be done.
- To try and instil in our pupils the idea that whilst History is concerned with dates and events it is most of all a study of people, change and continuity in human affairs.
- To develop an empathetic understanding of people and times past because of increased familiarity with varied forms of historical evidence.
- To foster in children an interest in the past, and to develop an understanding that enables them to enjoy all that history has to offer.
- To help children understand society and their place within it, so that they develop a sense of their cultural heritage.
- To develop in children the skills of enquiry, investigation, analysis, evaluation and presentation.
The History Curriculum from Year 9-11
Studying the iGCSE will help you gain a stronger understanding of the world around us and how events since the beginning of the Twentieth Century have shaped the world that we live in today. Studying History allows us to answer fundamental questions in life, such as “How do international relations in the past impact modern society?”, “How have major political changes affected the way countries are run today?”, “ How have technological advances impacted modern society?”, “Why do we support those less fortunate than ourselves?”.
The iGCSE answers these questions and more. It is a relevant course which covers major events of the Twentieth Century, including the effects of World War One and the subsequent failure of the League of Nations that led to World War Two. It considers the origins of the Cold War, the conflicts in South East Asia in the 1950s, 60s and 70s and The History of the Middle East up to 2000. There is a coursework element to the syllabus that will be worth 27% of the final grade. Much of the work towards this will be covered during History lessons in Year 9, regardless of whether your children choose to study History at GCSE. This independent study will be a fascinating way to develop a further understanding of History and encourage study to GCSE and beyond.
Following on from the skills developed during the Common Entrance Syllabus, study of History at iGCSE will further enhance this valuable skill set, setting your child up for studies at A-Level, university, and future employment. These include, the ability to independently research and solve problems, construct an argument, communicate ideas effectively and analyse and evaluate different viewpoints.
Trips
The department organises a number of field trips throughout the year, including the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. There is also the intention to provide a field trip for all Year 9 to visit Berlin and experience the historical aspects of the city and act as stimulus for the History curriculum from Year 9-11.