History

Department Staff

Mr Adrian Roberts (Head of Department)
Mr Peter Anderson
Mr David Jones
Dr William Stevenson

Aim

The aim of the History Department is to encourage interest in, and enjoyment of, the past.

Curriculum (1st - 5th Forms)

History Tour First Form (Year 7)

This course focuses on the history of Britain in the Middle Ages.

Second Form (Year 8)

The emphasis on British History continues with a survey of the Tudor and Stuart period, although major developments in Europe such as the Reformation are also considered.

Third Form (Year 9)

The Third Form course concentrates on Britain in the 18^th and 19^th centuries and at the Second World War.

During the Third Form pupils choose whether to carry on with History as one of their chosen options for GCSE.

Fourth Form (Year 10) and Fifth Form (Year 11)

The GCSE course followed is OCR Modern World History code 1937.

The components of this specification are:

Depth Study on Britain 1906-18
International Relations 1919-1989 with an optional Depth Study on Germany 1919-45
Coursework on The First World War

First World War Battlefields Tour

History Tour Each October during the half-term break the department runs a tour to the battlefields of the Western Front for GCSE historians. The tour concentrates on the first day of the Battle of the Somme and on the campaign of the Third Battle of Ypres in 1917 and covers a large number of sites in five days. It is the tradition to commemorate Old Persean casualties of the Front during the visit. In 2007 the tour will include a visit to Verdun.

'A' Level

The Department offers a choice of two courses:

Late Modern:

AS:

Britain 1945-64
Mussolini and Italian Fascism 1919-45
Origins of the American Civil War 1848-61

A2:

Lenin and the Russian Revolution 1903-24
Civil Rights in the USA 1865-1980
3,000 word Independent Investigation

Early Modern:

AS:

Henry VIII and Cardinal Wolsey 1509-29
Luther and the Reformation 1517-30
Napoleon and Europe 1799-1815

Tudor Relations with Foreign Powers 1485-1603
Elizabeth I 1558-1603
3,000 word Independent Investigation

Sixth Form historians are encouraged to read widely, using the extensive resources of the departmental library.

The department organises visits to Sixth Form lecture days in London. In recent years, for example, A level historians heard Robert Service and Edward Acton on Lenin, David Starkey and John Guy on Henry VIII and Christopher Haigh on Elizabeth I.

In 2006 a member of the Lower Sixth Form was a national finalist in the Historical Association 'Great Debate' and in 2007 a Sixth Form historian won the prestigious History Essay Competition run by St Hugh’s College Oxford.

History Societies

The History Society

The History Society is open to all members of the School. It meets to hear talks by visiting professional historians, by members of staff and by pupils who volunteer to share a particular interest. It is organised by Mr Adrian Roberts.

Middle School History Society

This group is open to the Third and Fourth Forms. It meets weekly and usually takes the form of a presentation by one of the members. It is organised by Mr Peter Anderson.

The Junior History Society

This is open to members of the School in the First and Second Form and meets fortnightly.

The programme of the Society is decided by its members, in consultation with the member of staff in charge, Mr David Jones.

Staffing

There are four members of the History department:

Mr Adrian Roberts (Head of Department): graduated from University College, Oxford and took a Cert.Ed. at King’s College, London. His main historical interests are in the 16^th and 17^th centuries and in the history of warfare. He co-authored Years of Renewal, an A level textbook on 16^thcentury European history. He runs the Enrichment Programme Archaeology Group and the school General Knowledge teams.

Mr David Jones: received his degree from Lancaster University and his Cert. Ed. from Westminster College, Oxford. He has wide historical interests from pre-history to the present, with the main connecting thread being man’s creative and cultural achievements. He has served as School Librarian and Editor of the school magazine and is currently School Archivist. He published a short history of The Perse in 2001.

Dr William Stevenson: graduated from the University of York with First Class Honours and took a Ph.D at Cambridge. His main interests tend towards the 20^th century, especially American history, but he has also taught extensively in the early modern period, particularly the Protestant Reformation. He taught A level history in adult education for ten years. He is also Head of Community Service.

Mr Peter Anderson: graduated from Durham University with a degree in History and Politics. He took a PGCE at Warwick University. His main interests are in late medieval and early modern English history. He captained Northumberland under 18 rugby team and represented Durham University. He now coaches the school under 12 and under 13 rugby sides.