History

“The calling of Humanities is to make us truly Human in the best sense of the word.”

History uses the past to build comprehension of British values and worldwide identities to better perceive current world affairs and events. We have worked hard to ensure that all of our students receive diverse and interesting knowledge from around the world, enabling all students to see themselves throughout History, and through the people and events we study. While History is a study of the past, we are also teaching the students important life skills to develop their thinking. We focus on 6 specific historical skills throughout both KS3 and KS4 to enable students to become critical thinkers, question the information they are given, and evaluate the information that they are constantly presented with. Our aim is to create students that will delve deeper, not to just accept what they are told at face value. We have changed to teach thematically, as this enables us to cover a wider range of topics and ideas, as well as enabling each teacher to tailor the learning experiences towards the specialities and preferences of the individual students and classes in front of them. 

Key Stage 3:

Students will be assessed on our key Historical skills, including Cause and Consequence, Change and Continuity, Evidence, Significance, interpretation and chronology. We have identified these as the key skills needed to be an effective Historian and these will be developed from KS3 into KS4.

Key Stage 4: 

For students opting to continue studies at KS4, the GCSE on offer is History, WJEC Eduqas exam board. 

https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/history-gcse/#tab_overview

We study the following 4 options:  Development of the USA 1919-1929, Germany in transition 1919-1939, Elizabethan England 1558-1603 and Crime and Punishment in Britain 500.c to the present day. 

We have chosen these modules to give a varied and broad course, studying interesting and relevant topics from around the world. 

At KS3 students complete home learning tasks once a fortnight using Google Classroom. This increases to once a week in KS4. These tasks are linked to and build upon that which is covered in lessons.

As Head of History at Trafalgar School, I am proud to lead a department that is committed to high-quality teaching, intellectual curiosity, and inclusive practice. Our team works collaboratively to create lessons that challenge students to think critically about the past and its impact on the world they live in today.

History has long been a subject that inspires me because it encourages students to question evidence, understand different interpretations, and develop a deeper sense of empathy. I am passionate about helping students see history as more than a sequence of events, but as a powerful tool for understanding society, identity, and change over time.

Having taught across a wide range of historical periods and themes, I ensure that our curriculum is carefully sequenced, inclusive, and accessible to all learners. We place strong emphasis on developing students’ confidence, written skills, and ability to construct well-supported arguments.

Our department is dedicated to delivering a rich and engaging curriculum that reflects diverse experiences and voices. Ultimately, we aim to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and curiosity they need to succeed academically and to engage thoughtfully with the world beyond Trafalgar School.

Laura Hudson (Director of Humanities) lhudson.trafalgar@salterns.org

Emilie Parker - Head of History eparker.trafalgar@salterns.org

Kat Davies kdavies.trafalgar@salterns.org

Alice Arnold aarnold.trafalgar@salterns.org