History
History at Bonus Pastor is about empowering and equipping our pupils to engage with the world around them as global citizens, understand their place in it, and have the knowledge, disciplinary thinking, and confidence to participate as empathetic and curious individuals. Our varied curriculum, both in the classroom and beyond, strives to make students lifelong learners and change makers who are able to make sense of the ‘present’ through their History education at Bonus Pastor. History’s challenging concepts help pupils to develop their critical thinking and oracy skills, construct arguments, scrutinise evidence and become fluent written communicators. Skills and disciplines which are increasingly important in our information and technology driven society.
Key Stage 3 History
Lessons at Key Stage 3 are compulsory; pupils receive a double lesson each week which aims to build their curiosity and historical thinking. Pupils delve into the history of the British Isles and beyond and unpack big ideas such as power, religion, politics, and society over a broad time period. Pupils will participate in lessons that range from performing a play about the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket to building their own castles or debating the significance of Harriet Tubman and whether she should be on the $20 bill. Laying a strong foundation for GCSE History, embedded within these lessons are the opportunities for pupils to develop the fluency of their written communication, their critical thinking and source analysis skills and learn how to support and explain their arguments using evidence.
For a full list of our topics studied please see the Topic Overview above.
Homework is set every two weeks using google classroom, as per the school policy, and focuses on the consolidation and practice of key historical knowledge and disciplinary thinking.
Key Stage 4 History
History is an option subject at GCSE, and it remains a very popular choice at Bonus Pastor, in which pupils continue to build upon the knowledge, disciplinary skills and curiosity they have secured through KS3.
Pupils study four units with the exam board Eduqas:
- Germany in Transition 1919-1939
- The Elizabethan Age 1558-1603
- The Development of the USA 1929-2000
- Changes in Health and Medicine c500-present day
The units of study allow pupils to study History in depth with both a British and European focus, as well as allowing them to study worldwide historical events through a thematic lens or the lens of change and significance. At GCSE, pupils are pushed to engage with more challenging modern concepts such as totalitarianism in Nazi Germany, ideological conflict in the Cold War, and the fascinating and evolving ideas behind health and medicine as well as demonstrate their understanding by scrutinising historical interpretations and sources. Pupils are supported through a wealth of departmental resources, from study cards and study books to the GCSE History Google Site which is a key hub of revision resources, masterclasses, podcasts, videos and exam tips.
Enrichment & Extracurricular
The department club, the History Society, is open to pupils from Years 7-11 and it occurs every fortnight on Tuesday week 2 in WS02. The History Society is for pupils who have an interest in History both in school and at home who would like to have the opportunity to broaden their interest by engaging in History that they may not be taught on the curriculum.
The Society has run trips to a variety of museums and exhibitions across London since 2016 as well as residential trips to places such as Athens and Normandy. In addition, pupils watch historical films, listen to important speakers such as Holocaust survivors on Holocaust Memorial Day, and have even worked collaboratively to put on an exhibition within the school about Immigration to London after World War Two.
An important aspect of empowering our students to engage with the world around them, develop their cultural empathy and become active historians is through our yearly residential trips. In Year 9, pupils have the opportunity to visit Ypres, Belgium to learn about the First World War through experiencing the conditions in the trenches first hand and reflecting on the vast number of those who lost their lives at cemeteries such as Tyne Cot. In Year 10, pupils spend 3 days in Berlin experiencing the city’s rich history such as tracing the remains of the Berlin Wall and reflecting on the horrors of the Holocaust at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
For more details please email our Head of Department
Ms A Whittle - awhittle@bonuspastor.co.uk
- Miss E Lawrence Obanokho (Head of Year 8 and History Teacher)
- Mr T Maylam (Head of Barton House and History Teacher)
- Mr F Searle (History Teacher)
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