Pursuing a chronological approach to British and World History wherever possible, the History Department emphasises the questioning of all sources of material. ‘Loyal Dissent’ has been a hallmark of Westminster School for hundreds of years and this critical thinking permeates all we do in the History Department at the Under School.
Curriculum
The History Department is very lucky in being based at the centre of the most exciting and historical city in the world. Just walking out to Games takes you past a Black Death burial site, several old hospitals, a location where soldiers camped prior to leaving for the Western Front in 1914, where there once was a pond and sheep roamed, where there was a ferry for horses across the Thames, and where the worst of the London slums rubbed shoulders with some of the most wealthy residents. Go a little further and we are in the very heart of Royal London and the political centre of Britain. There is so much to see and do. A good historian keeps their eyes and ears open: they listen, think about why, how, when, and for what reason, and make careful consideration before commenting.
From an early age, pupils at the Under School learn to develop their own interpretations of objects and ideas. Such individualism is encouraged as a basis for critical thinking. It starts with understanding time, chronological awareness, and observation skills before moving on to questioning sources in detail, developing a knowledge of key events and people, and cause and effect. At the upper end of the Under School, we strive for critical thinking, research skills, and an understanding of ideas.
Enrichment
We have a very active History Society, which meets regularly at lunchtimes to hear presentations devised and delivered by pupils. There is also an annual History Society Lecture, often given by an eminent historian. There have been regular battlefield tours into France and Belgium. We also enter pupils from Year Five upwards into the prestigious national 140‑year‑old Townsend Warner History Competition. In this, pupils at the Under School have had the fortune to win the accolade of Young Historian of the Year and to have won the team trophy.
Departmental Staff
Mrs Elizabeth Corcoran
— Head of History
Ms Milly Langford
— Acting Head of Juniors, 4L Class Teacher
Mr Andrew Monk
Mrs Mary Raikes
— 3R Class Teacher
Ms Rosie Smith
— Head of Year 6
Mr Michael Woodside
— <a href="/under-school/#welcome">Master</a>
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“I love learning about the complexity of the Tudors. There is so much more to it than Henry VI and his wives.”
— Year 5 pupil
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“We cover so much diverse material, from facts about the Stuarts and Victorians, to counter-factualism and ideologies.”
— Year 7 pupil
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“Question anything, everything and everyone, except your mother!”
— Ms Elizabeth Corcoran, Head of History
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