History at Tormead
History Lessons KS3 and Beyond
Studying History enables us to understand the world around us and equips us with a range of skills to engage with society in a critical and discerning manner. Our Department aims to bring the past to life through study of a curriculum that is broad, academically rigorous and highly engaging. History is not merely what happened; it is an understanding of the how the past has been interpreted and the development of our own evaluation of key historical events and figures. Our work with the Historical Association and our recent Gold Award allows us to offer a varied and inclusive curriculum at Key Stage 3 and 4, which enables pupils to understand the relevance of History as a subject and to see how the past has shaped the world we live in.
- Lower SchoolOur Lower School studies are focused on three pinnacle questions:
- How effectively did people challenge authority?
- To what extent did science and technology impact society over time?
- To what extent did religious views shape society?
In Year 7 we develop girls’ source analysis and essay-writing skills through studies of the Norman Conquest, the significance of Magna Carta, the impact of the Black Death on Europe and the significance of religion in the medieval world. Later in the Year, we discover the role of explorers and empires creating a more ‘global world’. Year 8 build on the development of Empires, studying the Native American responses to colonialism. We then examine the interaction of the Industrial Revolution on the development of the British Empire and slave trade, as well as case-studies on the impact of Empire on India, South Africa, Australia and Canada. This allows the girls to evaluate and debate the controversies of the country’s colonial past. In Year 9, girls focus on twentieth century History, covering a broad course ranging from the female suffrage movement, through both World Wars, the causes and repercussions of war to the rise of dictators. - IGCSE
In Year 10 we begin our GCSE studies with a fascinating and academically stimulating unit of the developments in medicine from 1848 to the creation of the NHS In 1948. We also tackle the advances, demands and failures of the Civil Rights movements of America from 1945 to 1974. Between Year 10 and 11 we study Germany, 1919-45, looking at the rise and fall of the Weimar Republic, and charts Germany’s descent into totalitarian dictatorship. In Year 11, we cover the Vietnam War and its political consequences, which have obvious links with the Civil Rights study.
- Enrichment
There is a weekly after-school ‘Past Times’ Club, when students engage in a range of activities, including a Jack the Ripper Escape Room, a recreation of the Battle of Hastings and scripting a Tudor dating TV show. The department also runs a series of trips and themed activities for girls in Years 7-10 during activity week in the summer term. In Year 9, there is an annual residential trip to the Battlefields of Somme and Ypres, which is very popular, and students have the opportunity to participate in the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate. Year 9 also lead the school’s annual Remembrance Assembly on 11 November. As part of their study of World War II, Year 9 and 10 students participate in annual screenings of material from Holocaust Learning UK, which feature Holocaust Survivor testimony. We are part of the Parallel Histories international digital debating programme, and students debate on controversial historical topics each half term, including the Israel-Palestine conflict and the Irish Famine. Year 10 are offered the opportunity to engage in a walking tour of London for their medicine unit, including a visit to the Old Operating Theatre.
11-16 Years
Our pupils enjoy exceptional educational opportunities within a caring and happy environment.
