History is a story: a story of people, power, conflict, courage and change that continues to shape the world we live in today. At King James’s School, we believe that studying History is about far more than learning about the past. It is about understanding who we are, how our society has developed and why the world around us is the way it is.

History gives pupils the opportunity to explore the experiences, achievements and struggles of people across different periods and societies. It encourages them to ask questions, challenge assumptions and consider how and why change happens. Through the study of the past, pupils develop the knowledge and confidence to engage thoughtfully with the world around them. Our History curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity and develop powerful disciplinary skills. Pupils learn to analyse evidence, evaluate different interpretations, identify cause and consequence and construct convincing written and spoken arguments. They are encouraged to debate significant historical questions and to recognise that the past can be interpreted in different ways. At Key Stage 3, our curriculum is underpinned by concepts such as the development of power and democracy, migration, conquest, prejudice and discrimination and the fight for equality. Through these themes, pupils encounter some of the most important questions in History and begin to understand the complex forces that have shaped modern Britain and the wider world.

Our enquiry-based curriculum takes pupils on a journey through some of the defining moments of our past. By the end of Year 9, pupils have developed a broad understanding of the events and developments that have shaped our nation and our world. They explore enquiry based questions such as How has power changed and democracy developed? Why did Britain build an empire, and what impact did it have? Why have people fought for civil rights and equality? How have prejudice, discrimination and antisemitism shaped societies? Through these enquiries, pupils explore the development of the English monarchy and Parliamentary democracy, the expansion and impact of the British Empire, women’s suffrage, the two World Wars and the Holocaust. History is an extremely popular GCSE option at King James’s School, with the department achieving excellent results. At GCSE, pupils study Germany, 1919–1939; the Cold War; Medicine in Britain; and the Norman Conquest. At A Level, pupils can explore History in even greater depth through the study of the Wars of the Roses, Russia, 1894–1941 and rebellion and disorder under the Tudors.

Ultimately, we want our pupils to leave King James’s School not simply knowing more about the past but thinking differently because of it. We want them to be curious, knowledgeable and willing to question the world around them; to understand that the choices and actions of people in the past continue to have consequences today; and to appreciate that they too have a role to play in shaping the future.