Welcome to the History Department!
The History department is fortunate enough to offer a wide selection of trips in line with the National Curriculum. Here are some of our most recent trips...
Residential Trips
Year 9 - WWI Battlefields Trip to France and Belgium
Each year, the History department takes 70 Year 9 pupils across to France and Belgium for a four day residential trip to the historic battlefields of the Somme. This is a very popular trip that we have been running for over 10 years where pupils learn and experience a vast amount about World War One, consolidating the knowledge they have from the classroom.
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Pupils spend 3 days visiting the battlefields, including Vimy Ridge, Thiepval and the Somme, the Newfoundland Park Memorial Site, the Menin Gate, Essex Farm Field Hospital, In Flanders Field Memorial Museum, Sanctuary Wood and the Tyne Cot Cemetary. There is also time to be spent in Ypres itself, where pupils visit a Belgium chocolate shop too!
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The highlight of the trip is the participation, by two chosen pupils, in the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate which is particularly moving.
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To hear about this year's trip please read our View from the Bridge extract and hear from the pupil's themselves about this incredibly poignant trip.
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Year 10/11 - Crime and Punishment Trip to London
In line with our GCSE OCR SHP course, pupils spend 3 days in London exploring our historic capital, with a specific focus on the changing nature of Crime and Punishment. Pupils start with a visit to the terrifying London dungeons, followed by a trip up the scenic London Eye. We then take a walking tour around the city of London and visit the cultural Westminster Abbey before a guided tour around the Houses of Parliament to see how Britain's democratic system workes. Following on from this, we visit the British Museum and take a quick trip to Covent Garden and the theatre. Last year we saw the WWI tribute 'War Horse,' and this year we are planning on seeing the award winning 'Les Miserables.'
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On our last day, we visit the amazing Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum to see how World War Two was won underneath the streets of London. Lastly, its a trip to the Crown jewels in the Tower of London before finally, exhausted, we make the long journey back to Devon!
Year 10 - Trip to Krakow, Poland - March 2017
In March, 40 Year 10 pupils made the journey to Krakow, Poland for four days. This was a new trip for the History department in order to complement our new GCSE of Life Under the Nazis.
Pupils enjoyed a variety of activities across the four days including a three hour walking tour of Krakow, a trip to the Jewish Quarter, a descent into the famous Salt Mines, a guided tour of Oskar Schindler's factory and, of course, a visit to Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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Read about the pupils experience in our View from the Bridge article below.
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Day Trips
Year 7 Castle Trip
The highly successful Year 7 Castle trip takes place every year in the Summer term. After a study of motte and bailey castles and their importance to the Normans, pupils visit the historic sites of Launceston and Okehampton castles. In groups, students explore the history of each site and undertake different investigative tasks to explore these fascinating buildings and their impact.
Year 8 Cathedral and Museum Trip
Working alongside our RE department, the Humanities team took all of Year 8 to Exeter to visit the Medieval Cathedral and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum last year. Pupils were given a guided tour of the Cathedral and learnt about its long and fascinating history as well as its continued importance to the city. They then followed a guided quiz around the museum, exploring Roman history and its links to Exeter, as well as pre-historic elements.