History
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The study of History is an exciting, wondrous and deeply rewarding experience. It can provide participants of all ages with a sense of awe at where we have come from and where we are heading. At Knightsbridge School, we seek to make this journey as engaging and fun as possible. Our overarching aim in the History department is to foster a deep-seated and lifelong love of learning about the past, whilst also developing and honing the skills required to make a good historian.
Within KS3, students study a wide range of topics, both ancient and modern, with a view to understanding that the past is a ‘foreign place’. The students begin to explore historical evidence and attempt to ask and formulate questions about history. As they move up the school, students begin to study events in more depth and, whether looking at subjects such as the murder of Thomas Becket, the Battle of Hastings, the Reformation, the French Revolution, Woman’s Suffrage or the First World War, all students explore a range of topics which prepare them brilliantly for the study of the 20th Century at GCSE. Within each topic, students are asked to critically analyse both primary and secondary sources of evidence, write extended pieces which challenge a statement or question, complete detailed projects on people and events and, in essence, to fully immerse themselves in the rich tapestry that is history.
We are also profoundly fortunate to be studying history in the heart of one of the most historically significant cities in the world. This good fortune lends itself beautifully to trips and, from the first opportunity, we make the most of what is on our doorstep. From exploring the Tower of London to touring the Houses of Parliament, students at Knightsbridge School experience a wide range of our capitals offerings and learn to treat them as the incredible and valuable sources that they are.
The common belief that history is simply a series of names and dates is passionately challenged at Knightsbridge School. Whilst students are provided with in-depth knowledge of our local, national and global pasts; we also spend a great deal of our time debating, questioning and challenging popular beliefs so that our young historians have the tools with which to argue against ‘old truths’ and, eventually, to form their own interpretation of the events that they study. History is a complex and often contentious subject which requires a broad skill set and a genuine thirst to discover more. Despite its sometimes dusty reputation, we show students that history has never been more important and more relevant than it is in the twenty-first century.