History
Aims and philosophy
History is one of the central humanities, embracing the study and understanding of all aspects of past human experience, individual and collective, political, social, cultural, economic and religious; the public and the domestic, the material and the intellectual, the sacred and the profane. The sources, primary and secondary, range from the written word and statistical data to the visual arts. Beyond intrinsic academic interest, History provides training in critical analysis, literary expression and the evaluation of widely contrasting evidence.
Curriculum by year-group
The aim of the Shell year is to familiarise the boys with and get them practised in the essential skills of the historian - the analysis and evaluation of primary sources and secondary literature; comprehension of historical causes and consequences and themes and patterns in history; an appreciation of different interpretations of the same historical events; and the ability to express ideas clearly and persuasively in a cogent narrative. These skills are delivered in a course which examines the theme of war in the twentieth century, with special focus on the First and Second World Wars. The GCSE 'Modern World' course is begun in the Summer term of the Shell year, by which time the boys should have required the requisite background knowledge and historical skills.
The GCSE examination is made up of three elements: two written papers and coursework. The examination syllabus covers International Relations 1918 to 1939; The Cold War; Germany 1918 to 1945 and Britain 1906 to 1918 (Document Study). The first term of the Fifth Form is given over entirely to the production of coursework. This entails writing a series of structured essays, using some primary source material, on Russian and Soviet History 1905 to 1941.
AS covers a variety of periods drawn from the last thousand years of British and European history. Two modules take the form of British and European Period Studies (e.g. the Norman Conquest, Elizabethan England, the Age of Peel, the French Revolution), which are traditional essay examinations. The third module is the Document Study, involving the investigation of primary source material (e.g. Alfred the Great; the German Reformation, the English Civil War).
A-level: The Historical Investigations paper focuses on a prominent figure (e.g. the Emperor Charlemagne, Philip II of Spain, Elizabeth I, Napoleon) and different historical interpretations of his or her importance. The synoptic Themes in History paper requires candidates to think and write thematically about a period of a hundred years or more (e.g. Crown, Church & Papacy 1066-1228; Tudor Rebellions 1485-1603; the Ascendancy of France 1598-1715; German nationalism 1815-1919). There is also an opportunity for private research for an Independent Investigation, which takes the form of a 2500 word coursework essay linked to any period of British, European or World history since 786 AD. As far as possible, periods will be chosen to reflect the interests of the boys and the expertise of their teachers.
Outside the classroom
The School's History society, the Trevelyan Society, named after Harrow's most celebrated historian, George Macaulay Trevelyan, hosts a very popular series of lectures. Recent speakers are: Professor Rosamond McKitterick on the Emperor Charlemagne, Dr David Starkey on Elizabeth I, and the celebrated military historian Professor Richard Holmes.
Each year the department leads a group of Shells to visit the First World War battlefields of the Somme and/or Ypres; and in 2005 Fifth Form historians will visit St Petersburg, while sixth formers will be visiting Madrid and its environs to tie in with their A2 module on Philip II of Spain.
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