History
The History Department has a long and proud tradition at Ampleforth. It aims to inspire in its students a love of the subject, an appreciation of its importance and the desire always to discover more.
At the same time, it seeks to equip students with the skills required to reach their full potential. The Department also believes strongly that History is a subject that is important to everyone and should therefore be accessible to everyone. It is, therefore, a large Department that teaches students of all abilities, from Oxbridge level historians to those with less academic ability.
To these ends, the Department teaches a wide range of vibrant and stimulating courses with an emphasis on combining enjoyment with examination preparation, British and European/world history and structured and independent learning. The Department is fortunate to have a team of dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers who, through the talents and commitment of their students, continue to uphold the tradition of History as a popular and successful subject at Ampleforth.
The History Department is proud to support Ampleforth College’s mission as a School for the Lord’s Service, with Benedictine values at its core. We do this not just through what we teach but how we teach it.
Our School’s mission is to work for excellence in every endeavour; to love learning and to pursue the truth, and this could not express our Department’s mission more clearly – we strive for excellence for, and to inculcate a love of the subject in, every student in every year group. Equally, the whole essence of history is the pursuit of a knowledge and understanding of historical truth. We focus just as strongly on the spiritual, moral and intellectual formation of our charges – almost every topic we teach requires an understanding of the importance of religion in society and discussion of moral and ethical issues. All enable students to learn how individuals can be powerful agents for change, with clear examples both to inspire greatness alongside those in history who will act as warnings of what can happen when spiritual and moral direction fail.
The History Department aims to inspire a love of history in our students and an appreciation of its importance. Thereafter, we aim to develop in them the skills necessary to enjoy the subject to its full and to maximise their potential in it. Enjoyment and achievement go hand in hand and it is certainly our aim that all who wish to study History at 'the next level', be that GCSE, A level or university, are able to do so and that they achieve the highest standards of which they are capable. Consequently, we look to achieve our aims by teaching a wide range of interesting courses, adopting a wide range of teaching and learning strategies and prioritising achievement and examination results for everyone of all abilities.
