Tony Benn
Welcome to the History Department. At the SJH, History is run by a team of passionate, dedicated and well qualified historians who
teach in a well-resourced, ever-growing department.
Our curriculum is wide-ranging and challenging at every stage in the Upper School, as students learn the essential skills of ‘real’
historians via a rich variety of activities both in and out of the school environment.
Aims
To stimulate and encourage interest in the past. To introduce students to what is involved in understanding and interpreting the past. To help students develop a sense of identity through learning about the development of Britain, Europe and the World. To contribute to students’ knowledge of other countries and cultures. To provide innovative and exciting lessons that will motivate students to achieve the highest possible grades. To provide a sound basis for further study and the pursuit of personal interest. To enrich other areas of the curriculum.All of these aims are achieved via use of the latest teaching and learning methods and technology.Facilities and Resources
The History Department is based in two rooms: Rooms 219 and 240. Both rooms are resourced with a PC, printer and projector and these facilities are used by students and teachers in a diverse range of assignments and activities. Students have access to a wide range of resource books which are available to all and the department is well supported in the LRC with an ever growing number of history books and DVDs. Students studying at a higher level are encouraged to read as many books as possible; a library system is operated to ensure that students have the opportunity to share these resources. The department also has a specially dedicated notice-board which keeps the Upper School community updated with history-related current affairs as well as raising awareness of how history is being constantly revisited and rewritten; reinforcing the message that “History Matters”.Courses
Key Stage 3- Year 7
- The Roman Empire
- Medieval England
- Year 8
- The Renaissance
- The Making of the UK
- Year 9
- World War One
- The rise of Hitler and World War Two
- The Black Peoples of the Americas
- GCSE History A The Making of the Modern World (5 HA)
- International Relations: How did the Cold War Develop, 1943-56? Three Cold War Crises: Berlin, Cuba and Czechoslovakia,c.1957-69. Why did the Cold War end? The invasion of Afghanistan (1979) to the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991)
- Depth Study: Russia 1917-1939
- Source Enquiry: A Divided Union? USA 1945-70
- Controlled Assessment (coursework): Crime, Policing and Punishment c.1880-c.1990, including Jack the Ripper.
- IB Higher and Standard Level:
- Route One: o Route One: Early Christianity, the origins of Islam (source study) and aspects of the Middle Ages in Europe. In addition, at Higher Level only we also study the Ottoman Empire and aspects of the Italian Renaissance.
- Route Two: Topics in Twentieth Century History: Causes, nature and effects of war (case studies), Rise and rule of authoritarian states, Communism in crisis in the USSR and China 1976-1989 (source study), and, in addition, at Higher Level only we also study aspects of Nineteenth and Twentieth Century European History.
The Examination Boards: The Department currently uses Edexcel examination board for all of our public examinations in Key Stage Four and the International Baccalaureate Examinations for Year 13 .
Field Trips
Year 8 are fortunate that their study of the Renaissance is linked so beautifully to our surroundings of Italy. Therefore, an exciting weekend trip is organised whereby students are taken to Florence and given a tour of this city which is key to a study of the Renaissance period. The itinerary includes: a tour of the city; a visit to the Duomo and Giotto’s Bell Tower (and a steep climb to the top for those with a head for the heights!); a tour of the Uffizi Gallery; a shop across Ponto Vecchio (with a quick ice-cream stop at the gelateria!); a study of Chiesa Santa Maria Novella and Palazzo Vecchio.Year 9 will have the opportunity to visit the battlefields of World War One and the Normandy Landing Sites of World War Two in the summer term.
GCSE students are flown across to the UK to help in their research of the coursework element of the programme: Victorian Policing and Jack the Ripper. Students are taken behind the scenes at the National Archives to examine original documents from the Jack the Ripper case and they are taken on a “Ripper Tour” of the East End of London.
IB students are taken to Istanbul as part of the Route One course. It is anticipated that Route Two students will have the opportunity to visit Germany in the near future.
Links
| Spartacus |
| JohnDClare.net |
| Invicta History |
| HistoryGCSE.org |
| MrBelshaw.co.uk | HistoryLearningSite.co.uk |
| HistoryontheNet.com | LearnHistory.org.uk |
| HistoryMatters.org.uk | www.activehistory.co.uk |
Visit Upper School Photo Gallery, Year 11 Trip to London