History

Overview

Mr A. O'Halloran - Head of History

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours.” Alan Bennett English Playwright

This quote nicely encapsulates what the St. Olave’s History Department want for each and every student. This is to help our students to create their own interpretation of the past which not only helps them to understand the world around them but also their place within it.

History is a dynamic challenging subject. At KS3 pupils develop an understanding of a broad sweep of British and World History from 1066 to the present day before focusing during the GCSE course on the way in which a variety of individuals and events from the Twentieth Century have shaped the Modern World we inhabit. The A-Level courses allow pupils to explore the British Empire at its peak and to explore its contraction and collapse alongside colonial British North America and the features of the USA as it was established as a sovereign nation. Learning does not take place solely within the classroom, opportunities to enrich pupils knowledge and understanding of History abound. Visits to the World 1 and 2 Battlefields provide the highlight of the trips calendar and sit alongside the History Society and its magazine in allowing pupils to indulge their passion for the subject.

While History may provide a fascinating window into the past, the many skills historians learn prepare them for an almost endless array of higher education and career opportunities. Because History provides the tools to analyse and explain problems, it is an essential tool for problem solving in the present and future. Historians learn the value of clear thinking, good writing, articulate speaking, and the importance of asking and answering complicated questions about how the world works.

History Curriculum Summaries

Assessment Process

Assessment and Feedback Process  - Years 7 - 13

Wider reading suggestions for our History Students

KS3 History reading suggestions

KS4 History reading suggestions

KS5 History reading suggestions