Last week, year 10 GCSE Historians had an action packed History Week as part of the whole cohort Humanities Week.
Visits included Hever Castle, Reading and Southampton Universities and a trip to the Winter Gardens in Ventnor to participate in a ‘Medicine in WWI’ workshop. Pupils’ attitude and behaviour were exemplary and many of the trip organisers on these visits complimented them on their enthusiasm and manners.
On Tuesday at Reading University, to gain an insight into higher education and how History could lead to a variety of study and career options, pupils discovered facts about university through a quiz. Did you know you need Maths GCSE at Grade 6 to study a degree in Computer Science? Or that the best university to study Food Science is not Oxford or Cambridge, but Robert Gordon University in Scotland? Or that graduates earn, on average, £200,000 more than non-graduates over a lifetime?
Reading University has a relaxed campus feel, with over a hundred societies in a wide array of areas. Pupils also participated in a workshop about what it was like to be a medieval teenager, and explored the Ure Museum of Greek Archeology, which is on the university campus.
On wednesday pupils had an amazing time touring the former home of Anne Boleyn, Hever Castle and its surrounding gardens, with a personal tour from one of the House Curators. The tour gave pupils in depth knowledge of who Anne Boleyn was as part of the ‘Becoming Anne’ exhibition held at the castle this month. The exhibition is of even more significance this year, as it has been 500 years since Anne’s first recorded appearance at the English court in 1522. Pupils were told the story of Anne’s childhood, her education at home alongside her sister, Mary, her year at the court of Margaret of Austria, her time at the French court and debut at the English court through portraits and letters on display throughout the Castle. The story ended with her placement in the service of Queen Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife. At the end of the tour, pupils were able to cool off in the beautiful Water Maze.
On Thursday, pupils were invited to Southampton University’s History department to take part in several workshops. Pupils experienced lectures from expert lecturers in their fields on subjects such as the East India Company. They then went into smaller groups and worked on source work. The Lecturers were very complimentary of the pupils’ knowledge and skills.
On Friday, Ventnor Winter Gardens held an enlightening workshop on medicine during WWI and pupils were able to glimpse into the era with the aid of hundreds of authentic artifacts, hands-on and role play activities, and carefully chosen period images and film. Pupils had the opportunity to learn from experienced historical interpreters who specialise in WWI battlefield medicine. It was a very insightful workshop into this period of time.
We hope you had a fantastic week year 10 historians!
