The History Department at Highgate Wood School aims to engage, challenge and encourage all students to develop both a passion for the past and an active interest in the world today. Our curriculum celebrates the diversity of the school community and helps students to make sense of the world. We investigate the political, social and cultural changes of the past 1200 years by studying the stories of the many different people who have contributed to the history of Britain, as well as African, European, American and Asian History.
Students study the past by engaging with historical concepts such as change and continuity, causes and consequence, similarity and difference and historical significance. By teaching how to analyse the value of evidence, students learn how to think critically, identify bias and evaluate arguments. Considering the complex questions posed by historians and by studying different interpretations of the past, encourages students to understand that history is not a neutral collection of facts but is a series of arguments that change over time. History also teaches students to communicate clearly, formulate their own arguments and to present them persuasively in their extended writing.
Our hope for all our students is that studying a diverse and inclusive History curriculum provides them with the cultural literacy needed to succeed in life and actively participate in the world with empathy and integrity. By answering historical questions and learning how to question historical evidence and interpretations, students learn to think critically and become independent thinkers. By challenging students, stimulating their intellectual curiosity and firing their imaginations we give students transferable skills, preparing them to become lifelong learners and global citizens.