History

The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

Or is it? At Falcons, pupils explore the similarities as well as the differences between past times and now.

Lower School History

In Year 1, they compare toys, food and houses today with those of previous generations. In Year 2 and Year 3, they learn about the way of life in the ancient world, examining The Stone Age, The Egyptians, Classical Greece and Ancient Rome.

Upper School History

In Year 4 and Year 5, pupils study the story of our island – how Britain was born and developed from the Celts to the Edwardians via the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians and Victorians.

As they approach their 11+, Year 6 pupils learn about the First World War and the Second World War, exploring life in the trenches, the home front (in both wars) and The Diary of Anne Frank. A knowledge-rich curriculum enables the girls to practise critical thinking and debate as well as discursive and creative writing. They also enjoy immersive work: building an Anglo-Saxon community; living like Medieval Kings and Queens (and knights and peasants); challenging the authority of Rome under Henry VIII; putting Charles I on trial; and experiencing life in the trenches and during the Blitz.

Post the 11+ exams and interviews, the pupils investigate the history of children’s books from the eighteenth century to the present day and undertake an independent study of a book from our unique and extensive archive of children’s books that date from the 1870s.

*From The Go-Between by LP Hartley