History Department

from Spirit - Girls' Division Magazine 2017-18

Geography Department

History Highlights

Mr Owen Head of History

The year got off to a busy start for the Year 13 Historians as they spent an afternoon working with Chrome Media – a digital media production company with a particular focus on the production of History ‘docudramas’. Pupils discussed with Catriona Oliphant, Director of Chrome Radio, and Caitlin Kennedy (both contemporaries at Oxford University of Miss Hincks) how historians use evidence and, in particular, how they chose and scrutinized historical sources in order to make their docudrama on America’s entry into the First World War (‘Enter the Peace Broker’) as convincing as possible.

In November, the Year 12 Politicians took a trip to Westminster and, in advance of our tour of the House of Commons and Lords, made an excursion to the UK Supreme Court. Created in 2005, and in session since 2009, the Supreme Court is the UK’s highest court of appeal. Year 12 were on their best behaviour as they entered Court 2 in order to view proceedings. Back in school, Politics Club has been busy this year. We have been fortunate to hear from no fewer than two MPs – well, a recent MP in the case of John Pugh (ex-MP for Southport) who visited school in September. In October, we welcomed the MP for Bolton North East (the constituency for Bolton School), Sir David Crausby, who reflected on twenty years in parliament and fielded some tricky questions from pupils.

In line with the new GCSE, KS4 have been branching out visiting new historical sites. Off the back of their visit to Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire last summer, Year 11 ventured to the People’s History Museum – closer to home in Manchester. The museum is the national museum of democracy, with the motto that ‘there have always been ideas worth fighting for’. In this centenary year of the Representation of the People Act, the core suffragette idea of ‘Votes for Women’ was the focus of the trip. As well as touring the museum, Year 11 watched a solo performance by an actress playing Hannah Mitchell, the suffragette and socialist who was elected to Manchester City Council in 1924.

Pupils have taken part in a number of Historical Association ventures this year. In October, Aliyah Patel took part in the Manchester heat of the ‘Great Debate’ in which she spoke passionately on the topic “Was the 1918 extension of the franchise the most significant moment in British democratic history?” In the Spring Term, pupils in Years 7-11 took part in the Young Quills book award. This is a unique book award because it is judged solely through reviews written by school pupils across the country. The History department internally judged the best reviews with the overall winner being Lola Rigby in 7D for her review of ‘My name is Victoria’ by Lucy Worsley. Sixth form historians have continued to benefit from lectures organised by the Bolton Branch of the Historical Association, which meets on the first Monday of the month from September to March, at 7.30pm in A33 (with the exception of September and January when it is normally the second Monday). As ever, there have been a diverse range of lecture topics, from Dr Martin Luther King Jr (on the 50th anniversary of his assassination) to medieval Scottish ‘warrior women’ and the ill-fated American campaign against the plains Indians in 1876. Parents and pupils of all ages are welcome to the new lecture series when it begins this September. You are sure to receive a friendly welcome, along with a hot drink and a biscuit (which this year has been ably served by Georgie Crowther, Sameera Mohammed and Molly Cooper in Year 12), along with some intellectual stimulation – perfect for wintry Monday nights!

Finally, it has been a busy summer term with regards to the English Civil War. Alongside the magnificent re-enactment of ‘The Storming of Bolton’ which took place within the school grounds on 7-8 July, 20 Year 7 pupils took part in a workshop organised by The Earl of Manchester’s Regiment of Foote at the end of June – it gave them an understanding of this important moment in their local history and a fascinating insight into the divided loyalties that tore families in Bolton apart during the English Civil Wars. Prior to this, they were ably prepared by Mrs Pritchard’s History Club, which looked at the roles played by ‘Roundheads’ and ‘Cavaliers’. In addition, Years 10 and above, which have their English Civil War on their GCSE and A-level syllabi, were treated to a visit from ‘Obadiah Watt’ (aka teacher and re-enactor Paul Mackintosh) – a musketeer in Parliament’s New Model Army, who enthused the pupils by taking about his puritan beliefs, opinions of the ‘tyrant’ Charles I and his beliefs about the role of parliament.