History

13+

History fascinates us on a personal level as well as a global level; there is just SO much to learn about though! Our tutors inspire a desire to learn more by making sessions fun as well as instructive and purposeful. They encourage curiosity in their students to question what went on in the past and how different events have influenced the present day. Children are helped along the way with learning tricky facts – dates, battles, pros and cons – but also, and importantly, shown how to analyse source material and to draw their own historical interpretations. Children are guided in how to read the question and answer the question asked, rather than trying to dodge the bullet with their own memorised anecdotes. The 13 plus Common Entrance syllabus for History can seem among the weightiest to manage; fear not, our tutors can clear the way to effective, confident learning.

GCSE

How would the world be different if the gates of the farm at Hougoument had not been shut against Napoleon’s infantry at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815? Would we be discussing Brexit if there had not been a break in the early summer storms off Normandy on the 6th June 1944? If Tim Berners-Lee had not been working on the Cern project would we have the World Wide Web?

All of these questions are impossible to answer definitively, but it is important to understand their significance.

However, the sheer amount of information and learning required for studying history can make it a daunting subject. This is exactly where Prep School Tutor can save you precious time and point you in the right direction. We can also remind you of the basic exam techniques which will maximise your chance to collect all the marks available.

For those students tackling theme papers, for example on the very topical subject of migration and empires since medieval times, or on monarchy and democracy there is the need to think of the big picture across the ages. This is where the experienced tutor can reduce the legwork and help you see the overview without having to do endless research.

A question on whether religion was the main factor in causing migration since medieval times will also reward you for writing about economic reasons for migration. But the real challenge will be explaining how reasons changed, for different groups at different times, or stayed the same, or were quite varied and rarely uniform. Being able to quote some examples from across the dates given in the question will also be useful. Once again, the tutor will be able to advise on the sources to use and speed the process to a successful conclusion. Do get in touch and see how we can ease the way to exam success.

‘A people without a knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.’   Michael Garvey