History is all about the telling of stories - big, small and tall, always interesting and often amusing. The History department aims to thread the stories together chronologically in the lower and middle school, to provide a broad picture of change over time. The department operates its own marking scheme which monitors the standard and effort of pupils weekly and on a consistent basis. Examination classes study specific periods and topics with the emphasis on pupils working increasingly by themselves and encouraging more intimate engagement in class.

History is a very exciting subject and a popular one. Generating an enthusiastic and enduring interest in the subject, as well as developing the ability of pupils to think for themselves and arrive at logical and reasoned judgements, are key departmental objectives.

Visits and extra-curricular activity is an integral part of each syllabus taught and outings are arranged for each year group whenever possible. During Years 7-9 trips are organised to Glastonbury Abbey, Torrington and Bristol. A visit to Berlin is arranged in Year 10 as part of study of the Cold War and both World Wars as well as a trip to London to visit key historical sites and museums. We also arrange regular History Society Lectures for our pupils and members of the local community who are interested in historical issues and events.