History

They say that History always repeats itself; it has to, no one ever listens. At King’s House, we try to reverse that trend.
Our course is very much ‘Go to Whoa!’ We start at the beginning and end just before where we are now. For example, our collection of DVD’s starts with Abrahamic Iraq and ends with the Vietnam War. Our Library ranges from the Ancient Persians and Chinese to the end of the Twentieth Century.

While the core of the curriculum starts with the Ancient Greeks and ends with the Great Fire of London, we also look in detail at the Renaissance, the American Civil War and World War II. The Department Handbooks, issued to every pupil, reflect that diversity.

The basic approach is that History needs to be workmanlike, but above all: fun. Wargaming, picture interpretation, and class discussions are a vital component of the syllabus. Year 8’s are encouraged to look at grand themes in History such as Turning Points; Hinge Factors; Personality and Change; Technology and Change. The simulation game TITANS has been designed by the department to put pupils ‘in the driving seat’ when studying History.

Trips are encouraged, especially in the Junior classes, and pupils are also directed to do their own research on a range of historical topics.