History is the story of us, had we been born in a different time and place, and therefore it is a story that must be told. In the KGS History Department, we are enthusiastic to tell this story – to inspire students with a genuine love of the subject and to develop their intellectual curiosity and imagination.
Using a variety of activities from class debates to lessons in the School Archive we aim to develop the KGS historian into someone who independently investigates the past, and has the skills and confidence to question and challenge accepted interpretations.
In the Lower School we take a chronological route starting from the Norman Conquest and ending with World War Two. We aim to make History engaging and develop key historical skills that are vital as they move through the curriculum, such as source analysis, coherent and well-organised writing, the ability to make convincing arguments and judgements.
To remain ignorant of history is to remain forever a child
Cicero
At GCSE and A Level History remains both popular and successful. Over three-quarters of students choose to study the subject at IGCSE. With a fast-paced and thorough examination of international relations in the last century, students study topics ranging from Al Capone to Saddam Hussein, from the rise of Hitler to the fall of the Berlin Wall, and from Vietnam to Cuba.
At A Level we pride ourselves on giving students a choice of topics to study in order to fuel their intellectual curiosity about the past and to encourage independent learning. Our recent results have been extremely impressive, and History remains the most popular subject for students to continue at university.
There are plenty of opportunities for students to extend their learning and to deepen their love of the subject. Both the Junior and Senior History Societies allow students to explore eras beyond the syllabus. Whether they are looking at local history, discussing historical fiction in a book group or presenting on an area they have researched, students are challenged to think critically and carefully about the past.
All of our study in the classroom is brought alive by trips to historical sights. The First Year Warwick Castle trip allows medieval warfare and architecture to be brought alive. There is even the chance to re-enact the Battle of Hastings, without the famous arrow in the eye! For many years, Third Year students have travelled to Belgium to experience the World War One battlefields first hand, spending time in a German trench, walking through the Menin Gate in Ypres and reflecting on the sacrifice in the Commonwealth cemeteries.
A Level students are given the opportunity to hear world-class historians speak at the Chalke Valley History Festival and on lecture trips throughout the course. They are also given the opportunity to undertake archival research for their coursework essays on a day trip to The National Archives in Kew. We are also privileged to host a number of top historians and academics at our annual Anniversary Lectures. The Department runs a number of exciting international residential trips, these fascinating trips are the highlight of the calendar and tie together senior students’ understanding of modern international history.
History A Level course guide
History Information Booklet
Staff
- Head of History; Young Enterprise (maternity leave), Dr K Kennedy
- Teacher of History, Mrs A Angell
- Head of Third Year; Teacher of History and Politics, Mrs J Butcher
- Assistant Head Co-Curricular & Character Education; Mr A Beard
- Acting Head of History, Teacher of History, Miss M Cope
- Head of Second Year; Teacher of History; Mr S Grant
- Head Master, Teacher of History; Mr S Lehec
- Teacher of History; Miss A Henderson;
- Head of Politics, Teacher of History; Mr D Sorley
