History and Government & Politics

History

The History Curriculum seeks to develop an understanding of the vital skills of a historian when handling historical evidence, together with familiarity of historical language. It wishes to foster within all students an engagement with, and sensitivity to the past through exploring the political, social and economic and wider dimensions of History through creative work, and independent thought and research. It seeks to facilitate understanding through both chronological and thematic frameworks to provide a broad and balanced appreciation of key turning points in both British and World History. It seeks to examine the diversity of human experience and appreciation of the experiences of key individuals, and key groups. It seeks to allow all to participate in order to promote a love of learning about the past, to identify links and to recognise how the past has shaped the present and still impacts upon the contemporary world. It seeks to be flexible, so as to use opportunities for extra- curricular themes that link with local, national and world history and events.

Government and Politics

The Government and Politics Curriculum seeks to provide all students with an understanding and appreciation of the democratic process, as well as familiarity with key political terminology and concepts for both UK and American Politics. It seeks to provide a broad and balanced examination of key political ideologies that enable students to understand and reach their own judgements and progress in their understanding of how different political systems operate. It seeks to provide students with an understanding of political institutions and political processes through practical and extra-curricular opportunities. It seeks to encourage a questioning approach and the importance of debate to foster independent thinking and research to facilitate understanding through application of ideas to contemporary British and American Politics that will lead to a continued engagement with the political environment.

The Department

The History departmental team regard the study of History as a firm foundation for being able to understand the world of today. We really like to highlight a saying attributed to Sir John Seeley that “ History is past politics; and politics present history”. We want students to be questioning of evidence, and not just accept things on face value. We want people to enjoy the past creatively. Historians can be quite difficult questioning people, but on the whole that is great preparation for a wide range of interesting careers that require close attention to detail. We work hard to promote toleration from learning lessons from the past. We take time to mark key commemorations of events that have shaped our cultural heritage, in particular Remembrance. We enjoy holding our local politicians to account through question time and staging mock General Elections and there have been quite a few of these recently!

Course organisation

Enrichment

Lower School History Club

Mock Election

Trips

Year 7 - Conwy Castle

Year 9 - International Slavery Museum, Liverpool

GCSE - Holocaust Memorial FACT

Year 12 - Pathways to Law

Staffing

Ms V.M. Pryce   Curriculum Leader Humanities, Subject Leader History and Politics

Miss L. Fielding   Teacher of History and Government and Politics