History

Highgate’s History Department introduces you to the rich historical debates at the heart of our chosen topics, and teaches that history is an ongoing debate about what really happened and what really mattered in the past. We make the experience of learning history exciting and challenging through a stimulating curriculum, different approaches, and a range of resources. The Sir Martin Gilbert Library, named after Highgate’s most famous historian, has a wonderful range of printed and digital resources, to which pupils are taken for lessons across their academic careers.

History is studied by all in Years 7 to 9. In Year 7, we examine Medieval Europe, considering the political, social, religious and cultural features of England, and the continent, over approximately four hundred years. In Year 8, we study the Reformation and the Tudor and Stuart dynasties, looking specifically at the various crises in church and government that punctuate the period. In Year 9, we study the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, the British Empire and various aspects of the First World War. A high proportion of our pupils take IGCSE History.

Within our Sixth Form, we offer different A Level options covering a range of topics in Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern History.