Oundle School
History
Head of Department: Mr C.R. Pendrill
We aim to make History exciting, interesting and relevant to our pupils, and also aim to teach beyond the prescribed syllabus laid down for public examinations to encourage self-reliance and independence of thought. Vital skills inculcated by History teaching include wide and critical reading, clear thinking and the construction of well focused, wide-ranging and detailed written answers. History is compulsory from the First to the Third Forms. Thereafter it becomes an optional subject.
The department maintains good links with a number of university History Departments and around forty Oundelians a year apply to read History in higher education. The department prides itself on the success of its Oxbridge programme in helping students achieve places at Oxford and Cambridge.
The department runs annual trips to Moscow/St Petersburg (Upper Sixth), Vienna/Budapest (Lower Sixth), Paris (Lower Sixth), Normandy (Lower Sixth), Berlin (Fifth Form), Prague (Third Form), Hampton Court (Second Form) and Warwick Castle (First Form).
History society meetings are held regularly throughout the school year. Speakers who have, in recent years, addressed the Senior History society (mainly for the Sixth Form) include Niall Ferguson and Anthony Beevor: the Junior History Society runs an equally ambitious programme with recent speakers including Martin Middlebrook and Squadron Leader Jimmy James. Frequent trips are made to see speakers in London, and the Department runs its own Sixth Form Lecture programme in the Trinity Quarter each year.
The department is staffed by:
Mr A.J. Brighton MA
Mr I.D.Clark BA
Mr S.R.L.Clayton BA
Mr M.A.R.Collier MA
Dr M.P.H. von Habsburg MA PhD
Mrs C.R. Hempsall MA
Mr R.N.Mather MA
Mr C.R.Pendrill MA
Mr P.J.Pedley BA
Course content
1st to 3rd Form
Apart from the First World War, Third Form sets will study a variety of courses for the remainder of the year according to the choice of their teacher. Current topics include, the British Empire; Ireland and the Holocaust. At 1st and 2nd Form, topics are studied covering aspects of English and European History from 1066 to c 1750.
GCSE
At GCSE level the course follows the AQA Modern World specification. Students study Britain and the First World War; International Relations between the Wars; Aspects of the Second World War (Coursework); the Cold War; Germany 1919-39 and Russia 1914-41.
AS and A2
The department offers the Edexcel specification which has been adapted to suit the department's breadth of expertise and interests. For further details and pattern of assessment, follow this link.
Those doing A2 History will do their AS exams in the Trinity Quarter in the U6th, allowing us to teach more widely and encourage independent research in the Trinity Quarter of the L6th. A2 Units cover a wide variety of topics reflecting the enthusiasms of the teachers, and students can usually opt to study Medieval / Early Modern, or Modern History topics. We largely shy away from topics such as twentieth-century Germany and Russia which are covered at GCSE in favour of really broadening our students' outlook. The freedom to generate our own courses ensures that teachers are not stuck in a rut of prescribed topics.
News: Oundle School History Department wins Good Schools Guide award.