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- History
History
Our history curriculum aspires to develop global citizens by fostering critical thinking, encouraging the exploration of diverse historical narratives, and promoting independent thought and reasoned debate.
Through this, students gain a deeper understanding of both history and its relevance to the modern world. We aim to empower students with an awareness of their agency as individuals, the rights they are entitled to, and their role in shaping the future of society.
Most importantly, students are equipped to work collaboratively, think critically, respect diverse perspectives, and analyse complex issues with empathy and clarity. Students develop skills in public speaking, debating, source analysis and essay writing, equipping them excellently for future IB and university study in all subjects.
The Middle School History curriculum in Years 7 to 9 introduces students to a diverse range of world history, spanning from prehistory to the modern day.
Year 7 begins with thematic studies such as the evolution of medicine over time and the impact of colonisation on indigenous peoples. Students also explore how Tudor monarchs shaped the course of English history and how individuals and groups, including women, have challenged inequality and injustice. These topics are underpinned by skills development in evaluating evidence and understanding cause and consequence.
Year 8 explores the question "Do revolutions really change anything?" through an analysis of the French, Russian and American revolutions, before studying the history of black peoples of America, from the Transatlantic Slave trade through to 1960s Civil Rights.
Year 9 students explore modern history topics and consider what it was like to live through World War I and the Cold War, as well as exploring the case of tyrannies and genocides in the 21st Century. All of these topics are underpinned by a comprehensive study of ideologies.
In Year 10 and Year 11, students follow the Cambridge IGCSE History syllabus, which focuses on major international issues of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Our four topics include the suitability of the Treaty of Versailles, the effectiveness of the League of Nations, the causes of the Second World War, and the dynamics of the Cold War.
Additionally, they complete an in-depth regional study of the US from 1919-1941, covering the economic boom, social changes and Great Depression. Students refine their abilities to analyse historical evidence, construct balanced arguments, and communicate ideas effectively. They sit one short-essay paper (40%), one source analysis paper (40%), and complete one 2,000-word coursework essay (30%) which analyses the significance of a historical event.
IB History looks at how and why the past unfolded as it did, and how it still shapes the world today. Students study the causes and consequences of major events, continuity and change over time, the significance of people and developments, and the different perspectives from which the past can be understood. Above all, they learn to question sources, weigh evidence and build a convincing argument.
The course combines a source-based study of a focused topic with thematic studies that compare developments such as conflict, authoritarian rule and popular protest across different regions and periods. Lessons are built around discussion, debate and close work with original sources, so students regularly test their own interpretations against those of historians. Higher Level students go further, completing an in-depth study of the history of the Americas.
Assessment is by examination together with the historical investigation. In the investigation, each student researches a historical question of their own choosing, evaluates the sources and perspectives involved, and presents their findings in a written analysis. IB History is good preparation for degrees in history, politics, international relations, law, journalism and the wider humanities, and for careers in law, government, journalism, heritage and research.
Students who choose to study Higher Level History also complete an in-depth regional study of the US, covering the Great Depression, Civil Rights and Cold War.
IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Individuals and societies: History—standard level
IB Diploma Programme Subject Brief Individuals and societies: History—higher level
History is a way of understanding where we have come from. By studying the past, students learn to make sense of the present, and to accept that many big questions have more than one defensible answer depending on the evidence and the point of view.
Students study France in revolution from 1774 to 1799, Germany from unification in 1871 to reunification in 1990, and superpower relations from 1943 to 1990, following the Cold War from its origins through détente to its end. Each part of the course develops a different skill: weighing up historians' interpretations, evaluating contemporary sources, or tracing change over a long period.
Assessment is by written examination. Students need a strong interest in the past, a willingness to read widely and to debate, and the ability to build an argument from evidence. Those skills, weighing evidence and writing a persuasive case, are useful in almost any degree or career, and especially in law, politics, international relations and journalism.