History

At Talbot Heath, History is a dynamic subject area in which we aim to teach your daughter how to analyse key historical events and adopt a critical approach to the understanding and evaluation of evidence. We believe that a knowledge of History is essential to gaining a greater understanding of the world in which we live. We are fortunate that History at Talbot Heath is taught by two subject specialists, both of whom have Masters Degrees and extensive teaching experience. Thus, tasks are academically rigorous, at the same time as being age-appropriate, and lessons encompass a variety of teaching strategies including independent learning, project work, group work and role-play. Within a half-term, your daughter might play a role in the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket, carry out an investigation into the disappearance of the ‘Princes in the Tower’ and present some of her own research to educate her peers about an aspect of life in the Middle Ages. Higher up the School, she might analyse the causes of the Cold War, evaluate the historical accuracy of the film, ‘Testament of Youth’ and work in a group, investigating medicine in the trenches of the First World War.

Site visits give pupils the opportunity to experience some of the marvellous historical buildings (and ruins) we have in this country and they help to give pupils a real sense of ‘touching the past’. At KS3, the department currently runs a trip to Hampton Court for L4. We are extremely fortunate to have a renovated WWII air-raid shelter at Talbot Heath which is used in lessons for the U4 about the ‘Home Front’. Our extensive school archive of artefacts and memories from former pupils’ experiences of WWII is also invaluable in these lessons. The Department has also run residential visits to Berlin to complement our GCSE courses.