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.

We study Cambridge IGCSE which allows pupils to study the 20^th Century World and  continues to ignite pupils interest in the subject.

Topics studied include:

The core content

• Were the peace treaties of 1919 – 23 fair
• To what extent was the League of Nations a success?
• Why had international Peace collapsed by 1939?
• Who was the blame for the Cold War?
• How effectively did the USA contain the spread of Communism?
• How secure was the USSR’s control over Eastern Europe?
• The Gulf War 1970 – 2000.

The Depth Study

• Germany 1918 – 45. This unit focusses upon the Weimar Republic and its downfall, the rise of Hitler and the Nazis and life in Hitler’s Germany.

We believe in giving all pupils the opportunity to progress fully. As such, we adopt a wide range of teaching methods which enthuse and excite pupils. Where possible, external visits and lectures take place and there is a bi- annual trip to Berlin to study German History along with key aspects of the Cold War era.