History (OCR)
We study History in order to engage with the past, to ask questions about those who have come before us, to understand how humans have lived with each other and in their different environments throughout time, and to learn that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.
“Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her.”
G.K. Chesterton
Herodotus, writing in the 5th Century BCE, considered the title of his great work on the war between the Greek poleis and Persia very carefully. He settled on the word “á¼¹στορίαι”, or “History”; translated literally as “enquiry”.
We continue to study History to enquire into the development of human society through the interpretation of archaeological, documentary and personal evidence. From the ancient city of Ur (c.29th Century BCE), which you can learn about by visiting the British Museum at Holborn, through to the tale of English Parliamentarianism found over the road at the Palace of Westminster, the lives of countless men and women, their institutions, their passions, their fears and their beliefs have been recorded by design and by accident. It is the goal of a committed historian to seek a greater knowledge of how our species has coped with these varied and diverse environments, and the challenges and conditions they presented.
At HWSF, the Department of History offers a wide and varied syllabus and countless opportunities for the extra-curricular study of related disciplines. History Society has seen presentations on Ancient Egypt, the Byzantines, Machiavelli, Trade Routes in the 4th Century AD and Roman Mythology! We also invite you to think about your own view of how the past should be studied and interpreted; what do you think of G.K. Chesterton’s comments above on the Ancient Empire of Rome? Studying History at HWSF is an excellent basis for taking an Arts or Humanities degree at university, which in turn can lead to careers in the City, Law, Government and a whole host of other related disciplines. Analytical skills are valuable in every walk of life, alongside the ability to choose relevant and significant data to evaluate key questions and themes. History seeks to reward you not just with the knowledge, but the skills to take your future forward, wherever that may be.
Please click here for further information on our History Curriculum.
