History

History at Prep School should aim to combine giving pupils knowledge and understanding of the past with the investigative and critical skills a young historian requires. At Ludgrove, we believe that History should be story time. The teacher's expert subject knowledge must be the most important resource. The teachers in the department use prepared PowerPoint Presentation slide shows to tell the stories. In this lecture form, lessons are dynamic, all-inclusive, lively and designed to elicit knowledge from the pupils. Only after the slide show lecture, the odd visit to a useful website, as well as watching relevant DVDs do the pupils write brief teacher-prepared notes in exercise books. They will be tested on these brief notes weekly. Although these resources are undoubtedly useful, it must be reiterated that without the teacher's knowledge, there can be no passion, no dynamism and none of those unforgettable anecdotal gems. For example, how can the Battle of Crecy be taught without reference to the Blind King of Bohemia's incredible suicidal side show? Just as we never forget bedtime fairy tales, these stories in history lessons should stay with us forever. Although the pupils learn about the ancient civilisations of Greece, Rome and Egypt, ten great world battles and ten significant world figures of the twentieth century in Years 4,5 and 6 respectively , the concentration is very much on British history. Apart from Common Entrance requiring it, British history is fun and relevant. We are British and our children should know about our heroic and not so heroic past. At Ludgrove, we think the Townsend Warner Prize is an extremely worthwhile and fun competition; it is also an indicator of the sort of history the children should be learning. For the final two years, the teaching starts to target the Common Entrance syllabus more directly. Although the pupils gain knowledge of the past in the same way (via slide shows, websites and DVDs), the historical skills of investigation and evaluating sources start to be developed. As well as this, the pupils are taught how to answer questions in an extended writing, essay form. They cannot be expected to do this without their essays being “scaffolded” by the teacher. Therefore, it is the department's aim to give the pupils knowledge through fun stories combined with arming them with the weapons to succeed at Common Entrance.