At Beaudesert, the History department aims to open children’s minds to events of the past to help them understand the present and prepare them for the future. We encourage independent learning to give children the opportunity to develop an enquiring mind. The ultimate objective for all the children is to reach either scholarship or Common Entrance standard in History and have a desire to continue to study the subject at senior school and beyond. ‘A generation that ignores History has no past and no future.’ Robert Heinlein.

History has to be tangible and here at Beaudesert we have many visits and vistors bringing history to life. These all take place in addition to the timetabled history lessons.  These events range from spending the day as a Viking at Raven’s Wing in Worcestershire, hearing the tales of a slave-ship captain and how Britain and the Colonies operated during that time, one of Henry V’s archers’ recounting his tale of Agincourt and the use of the longbow, a visit to The Corinium Museum in Cirencester and dressing up as a Roman, as well as a cross-curricular trip with the Science and Geography departments in the Forest of Dean, Purbeck and Chepstow, to name but a few.

Beaudesert children are encouraged to engage in thoughts and discussions such as: Empires.  Who benefitted most, the rulers or the ruled? How has the weather changed the course of British History? Disease and starvation have caused more death than wars. Discuss. How would you fair with these discussion points?

Useful links:
www.schoolhistory.co.uk/

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/websites/4_11/site/history.shtml