History Department

At the heart of what we do is the belief that History should be studied and enjoyed for its own sake, and that an understanding and enjoyment of history can last a lifetime, whilst at the same time the study of history can enhance one’s understanding of the world around one and develop valuable skills which are useful in so many different fields in later life. 

There is much more to history than what can be covered in the classroom, and we aim to get our students out and about as much as is possible. This may be locally – ranging from St Mary’s Church in Bruton itself to Warminster and the British Army’s Small Arms Weapons Collection; nationally  -  Portsmouth and its Historic Naval Dockyard , Bristol and London; or internationally – to the Battlefields of the First World War in France and Belgium, and destinations such as Berlin, Budapest, Krakow, Munich, Nuremberg and Prague. All these visits help to emphasise how our history is all around us and enrich the curriculum in many ways.

However, important though these trips undoubtedly are, it is the day to day work in the classroom that is the basis of what we do. As a department we try to make lessons as engaging and active as possible, in order to make the subject accessible for all, whilst encouraging every student to learn to think critically for themselves.

The curriculum is broad, and across the five years covers a diverse swathe of British, European and World History so that hopefully the Upper 6^th historians leave with a good understanding of a wide range of topics.

All pupils study History in the 3rd Form (Year 9). The course aims to establish an understanding of 20th century History as well as developing the skills they need further up the school. The first term looks at the 1st World War and is centred around the visit to Flanders in October. Thereafter the course looks at the impact of the War on a thematic basis, looking at changes  in the 20^th century across a broad spectrum.