Aims and Overview of the History Department

Our aims are to develop pupils as individuals by:

• Helping them to develop an interest in and enthusiasm for the study of national and international issues from the past, so that they can begin to make sense of the world they live in today.
• To develop a sense of structure of past societies in order to develop the ability to empathise with people from the past.
• To acquire an understanding of the development of social and cultural values and this has shaped their society today, thus allowing them to find a personal identity.

To develop pupils a contributors to society by:

• Helping pupils to acquire a knowledge and understanding of human activities (social, political and economic) in the past, linking them as appropriate with the present, so as to develop positive attitudes to the world in which they live.
• Exploring the moral dilemmas faced by past societies so that they understand to complexity of making reasoned judgments.

To develop pupils as contributors to the economy and environment by:

• Investigating how the skills developed through History will be useful in a range of careers.
• Enabling pupils to move on easily to further historical study and/or maintain an interest in history as a means of recreation and leisure.

To develop pupils’ knowledge, Understanding and Skills by:

• Acquiring an understanding of the nature and use of historical evidence.
• Understanding of the nature of cause and consequence, continuity and change, similarity and difference in human affairs.
• Develop essential skills such as the ability to locate and extract information from primary and secondary sources; to detect bias; to analyse this information; to develop the ability to think critically and make judgments about human situations;
• Encouraging pupils to effectively communicate knowledge about the past; to use ICT to increase understanding of historical material.

STAFFING/ ROLES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT

There are currently five teachers within the History Department, and all are History specialists.

• Mrs R Hill (Head of Department) Note: Mrs Hill is currently on maternity leave.  Dr H Flint (Senior Teacher) will be overseeing the History Department during Mrs Hill’s absence.
• Mr D McClean
• Mr G McMillan
• Mr R Martin
• Mr G Ney

Facilities

At present the department is located in rooms 115, 132 and Mobile 8 & Mobile 9

All teachers have access to interactive whiteboards and printing facilities. Relevant and modern textbooks and access to a computer are available to all members of the department.

Why Study History?

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”     George Santayana

• History helps you to become a detective. It helps you to look beyond the headlines, to ask questions properly, and to express your own opinions.
• History allows you to travel through time.
• Historical knowledge helps you to truly understanding the world you live in.
• History helps you understand the origins of modern political and social problems.
• History makes you appreciate that people in the past were not just ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but motivated in complex and inconsistent ways, just like us.
• History provides you with the skills employers are looking for.

Useful Links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/
http://www.historymad.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/
http://www.ccea.org.uk/history/