History 24 RE

History

WORDS BY

Mr Paul Dennis,

Head of History

HISTORY REPORT

YEAR 5

This year in our History lessons we have been learning about Medieval realms. We started with fi nding out what life was like for the Anglo Saxons before 1066, the Witan feudal system, and the power struggle that occurred after Edward the Confessor died. We researched the strengths and weaknesses of the claimants (Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardraada, William Duke of Normandy and Edward Atheling). We made our own shields and re-enacted the Battle of Stamford Bridge (between the invading Viking chief Harald Hardraada and the new king, Harold Godwinson) and the Battle of Hastings (when Harold Godwinson’s victorious but exhausted army was defeated by the wily William of Normandy’s troops by a well-placed arrow in the eye on Senlac Hill). We analysed battle tactics such as fake retreats and shield walls, and the reasons why the Normans were ultimately successful.

We went on to learn about how the country changed under Norman rule, the Harrying of the North, and how William imposed his power on his subjects. We studied scenes from the Bayeux Tapestry and considered the reliability of sources of history.

We then learned about the different types of castle, their identifying features and the pros and cons of each design, including features such as murder holes, arrow slits and crenelations. We also looked at medieval weapons such as trebuchets, catapults and siege towers. We learned about the Domesday Book, why it was commissioned and how it was used by William to control and tax his people. We also considered what life was like for ordinary people, and how Doom paintings in churches were used to scare them into being good citizens.

My favourite history lessons this year were the battle re-enactments, designing my own Norman castle, and learning about the Black Death and all the different and disgusting cures they tried.

Words by Eben Clarke (5RR)

YEAR 6

Being new to the school has come with new and exciting opportunities. I have been admiring the school from its different subjects in the Whinchat, way before I joined. And the subject that caught my eye the most was History. Boys bringing in their model boats and diagrams and everything related to history was amazing to see. I was amazed that people could do such activities. History has been as fantastic as I had hoped. Learning about Henry VIII and Henry VII, the religious rollercoaster in the Tudor times and the Spanish Armada. Doing activities such as making the ‘Religion Rollercoaster’ and a model ship was just brilliant - I have had such fun doing them. Our teacher Mrs Russell has been a joy to be taught by and she even allowed me and Conor to do a rap battle about the Tudor Queen, Mary I! I am grateful for this fantastic year, and I hope that all new boys will be grateful too.

Words by Daniel Joaille-Burge (6L)

History

The serried ranks of Year 5 line up to face their foe at the Battle of Hastings

YEAR 7

Although we haven’t been able to get back to the usual number of trips and talks yet this year it has been good getting back to learning history together in the classroom. The topic this year has been predominantly the early Stuarts up to the time of Oliver Cromwell. Miss Bamber has done a wonderful job of keeping things lively: we reconstructed a courtroom scene and acted out the trial of Charles I (sadly for him he still suffered the same fate) and we enjoyed a series of tense and highly competitive debates on the causes of the Civil War and the troubled reign of Charles I.

A number of enthusiastic historians among Year 7 and 8 put themselves forward to take on the challenge of the Townsend-Warner History Prize, a national competition that has run for over 130 years which tests knowledge of world history. This was, without doubt, the most challenging academic test I have ever undertaken: the fi rst paper is a demanding set of 100 questions requiring one-word answers on all sorts of obscure historical subjects. The second paper tested more in-depth knowledge requiring fi ve essays without prior knowledge of the subject matter! All the boys did well with three of us being invited back to participate in the second paper.

Words by Oliver Barbour (7EG)

YEAR 8

This year’s history has been great! I’ve really enjoyed learning about the Victorian era and more modern history in Year 8 and I am looking forward to history in the Upper School. In the Autumn Term, we studied the industrial revolution, where we learned about the causes and effects of this incredible period in history. In the Spring term, we learned about Victorian society and how Jack the Ripper was able to be such a prolifi c serial killer and the different jobs you could do in that period, as well as learning about the foundation of the British railway system and the British Empire. In the summer term, we learned about segregation, racism and discrimination in the USA in the 1950’s. We also learned about LGBT+ discrimination during that period, including the stonewall riots.

Probably the most notable event in history this year was the Townsend-Warner History Prize, where students in schools around the UK compete with others using their history knowledge. There were 2 rounds: general knowledge and essay writing. In the second round, 250 of the best competed and I fi nished 113th in the country. It was a tremendous event!

Words by Ralph Franklin (8F)

Religious Studies

Crucifi x craft by Ben Zanna

R.E. REPORT 2022

Year 7

RE REPORT GABRIEL BORELLI

RE has been both interesting and enjoyable this year. Stimulating debates on important philosophical questions, learning about the gripping origins of religions, and looking deeper into the mysteries of faiths that have captivated the world.

In the Autumn Term we looked at the early days of Christianity. We learned about the numerous trials Jesus and his band of loyal disciples went through starting a new religion in a country where claiming to be ‘people of the Lord’ was punishable by death, and how Christianity became what it is today. I was captivated by debates over questions like “Did Judas have any long-term motives against Jesus, or was it just lust for money?”. Furthermore, I really enjoyed questioning the very foundation of Christianity itself.

In the Spring Term, we moved on to Islam, a fast growing religion originating in Saudi Arabia. We were taught of its unifying emergence powerhoused by the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who was enlightened when visited by the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) in a cave. We learned about the Five Pillars - the fi ve core values of Islam, which dictate much of life as a Muslim. We also explored the functions and importance of a mosque, the centre of any Muslim community, and the washing and prayer rituals. I found this topic interesting as I got to learn about a religion that I knew very little about.

Finally, in the Summer Term we learned about Philosophy and Ethics. We were taught important questions on life with stimulating debates. In my view, in a diverse and inclusive world, we stand a better chance as a cohesive society if we all understand each other’s values and beliefs, whilst acting according to our own.

Year 6

RE REPORT BY JUVAN SIVASENTHAN

This year, I enjoyed RE because we got to discuss different religions and do creative preps such as designing a church on Minecraft or using Lego and writing about my spiritual journey to India. The thing I enjoyed most was presenting and talking about my own religion - Hinduism. I liked sharing about ‘puja’ (worship) and my home shrine. My classmates showed real interest and asked lots of good questions. I also enjoyed trying out meditation as part of our studies on Buddhism - it made me concentrate more and feel calmer.

Left: My home shrine.

Religious Studies

Year 8

BY LEWIS WOODHOUSE, RE PRIZE WINNER

Bedford School is a very diverse school in terms of nationalities, cultures and religions. We currently have 27 different nationalities in our school which highlights the importance of the subject because it helps us to gain insight into other people’s opinions and beliefs. RE is taught in many ways. Through whole class and group discussions everyone gets involved and can debate different topics and concepts in a respectful way. We learn about multiple religions each year and in Year 8 we focussed on the ethical lessons that some of the Old Testament stories teach us, as well as the study of Judaism, and more recently the Holocaust.

As part of our Year 8 Post Exam Programme, we had a workshop by ‘Voices of the Holocaust’ – a drama company founded with the objective to ensure that the voices of the survivors and victims of the Holocaust would never be lost. We experienced some very moving survivor testimonies and took part in activities to help us gain a deeper appreciation of the atrocities that took place. We refl ected on the complexities of human nature and the importance of preventing anything like this from happening in the future.

Overall, RE has helped us develop a deeper understanding of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of others while learning to respect their diverse opinions. It has also served to shape our own beliefs and values. I n Year 6, pupils practised their evaluative writing by exploring the question: Are Miracles Real?

2021 2022

“I don’t think that miracles are real because they don’t have any factual proof, like science. With the ‘feeding of the 5000’ myth, how can you magically get thousands of food in a couple of minutes by praying to a deity which doesn’t really exist. Because of these reasons, I believe miracles are myths. Also, when Jesus walked on water, his father was a carpenter, so he could have just built a wooden platform that sat just under the surface. These reasons clearly state that miracles aren’t real because no science can prove they actually happened.”

By Chris Gentry

“I would say I don’t think miracles are real because there is no specifi c properly verifi ed evidence that there is any proof. If there was a miracle in Jesus’ time, the Roman Empire would have discovered it and written about it. An example of an inexplicable miracle is ‘feeding the 5000’ – there is no way you can gather that much food in that short amount of time. Perhaps a miracle like ‘healing a blind man’ is more believable. But overall, I don’t think miracles are real because they could easily be exaggerated or lied about. I do, however, respect people who believe in miracles because they are governed by their faith and not science.”

By Cayo Sinclair

“Miracles justify people’s belief in God because they help give faith to those around them. Anyone with God inside them can perform a miracle if they put their minds to it, believe it strongly in their hearts, and call upon the Holy Spirit. In the ‘calming of the storm, Jesus teaches his disciples to have faith in Him and God – to trust that ‘through Him, all things are possible’. Miracles are also proof of God’s existence – they are impossible without Him. I would argue with any scientist who believes they can be justifi ed by science alone.”