Extra Curricular

Holocaust Exhibition

In Year 9 (the fourth form) our pupils are taken to see the world acclaimed Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Florence

To complement the A-Level course the Lower Sixth are offered a four day day trip to Florence in June. The city offers a wealth of cultural and historical sites that includes the Ufizi gallery and Michaelangelo's statue of David. The pupils are encouraged to look beyond the syllabus of Italian Unification and consider the impact of an earlier era: the Renaissance. A particular discussion point on this reading trip is Machiavelli's book 'The Prince'. The trip is an intellectually challenging one and it puts history in the context of artistic expression.

Somme Trip

In February Upper 5th History GCSE pupils take their coursework on the Battle of the Somme to the Battlefields. Armed with maps, war poems and the lyrics to the songs sang by the Tommies in World War One the group tread in the footsteps of the Pals Battalions to investigate all aspects of the planning that went into the fateful battle. They listen to heated debates about whether General Haig was indeed the 'Butcher' of the Somme or simply a maligned figure of History. Their visit to the actual frontlines shows them what conditions were like in 1916 and hopefully our U5th understand that History is often created by many complex factors and conditions, and the simple scapegoat is not always to blame.

Lawrenceville Exchange

The History and Politics Departments combine to organise an exchange with Lawrenceville College in Princeton, USA. The trip includes a four day stay at the school, experiencing life as an American student, followed by 6 days touring the sites of New York, Philadelphia and Washington. The trip is open to pupils from the Upper Fifth and the Sixth Form.

Skidelsky Society

This sixth form group meets for weekly discussions about topics beyond the A-level sullabus, such as the Rise and Fall of the Inca Empire or the reputation of Ivan the Terrible. The aim is to challenge myths and question conventional wisdom so that pupils can discover different approaches to understanding history. Outside speakers and pupils' presentations provide the intial ideas for debate to begin.

Oxbridge Group

Miss Georgina Dore is in charge of Oxbridge aspirants. The weekly course deals with historiography - changes in the interpretation of history.

History in Film Society

Available for pupils below the sixth form, the group watch and discuss how films have interpreted historical events. A theme, such as racism or children, is chosen for the academic year.