History

Archbishop Tenison's History Department is an area of the curriculum that deals with people and their interaction with their environment in spatial, historic, economic, moral, and physical terms.

We study a wide range of topics at Key Stage 3, including an introductory unit entitled, 'What is History'.

This is followed in Year 7 by studies of the Romans, Norman Conquest, and Medieval England in an in-depth study of the life and crimes of the notorious King John. We complete Year 7 with a study of the Holy Wars of the Middle Ages.

In Year 8 pupils learn about the Making of the United Kingdom, and the Black Peoples of Americas. They also have the opportunity to study a unit entitled 'King Cromwell', designed specifically for gifted and talented historians. In Year 9 pupils study England 1750-1900 and the 20th Century world.

Our thriving Key Stage 4 option groups study modules on South Africa, the History of Medicine, the American West, and a local area study. We have a lively and dynamic Key Stage 5 course that looks at Weimar Germany, the rise of the National Socialists, life in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, the role of government in public health and medicine, and a challenging synoptic unit.

We complement our classroom teaching with study trips. At Key Stage 3 we incorporate visits to Hampton Court, the National Army Museum and the Imperial War Museum. At Key Stage 4 there are two field trips to investigate local sites and a visit to the History of Medicine Wellcome Gallery at the Science Museum. At Key Stage 5 we take students to relevant subject conferences and visit the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

We consider it essential to involve pupils in their learning as much as possible and achieve this in a number of ways: open ended enquiry, debate, oral assessment, research, action planning, peer assessment and work, self-assessment, activity based work, team work, problem solving, and the optimum use of ICT.

We aim to make our curriculum accessible to all our pupils, while at the same time inspiring in them a love of learning. We see it as essential that pupils learn about a broad range of cultures, reflecting the cultural mix in our School. We aim to help pupils to develop self- confidence and self-esteem, as well as self-discipline and responsibility, and ultimately help them to develop their own set of values based on experience and sound judgement. Our courses rigorously prepare pupils for further study, but at the same time, emphasise life-skills and skills relevant to the work place. Pupils are shown how the skills and knowledge learned in History can be directly relevant to their future careers.