History Department

Head of Department: Miss Aeron Smith

History is a popular subject at Hendon Prep and is studied throughout the school, firstly within class teaching and then taught by specialist teachers from Years 5 - 8.

Our aim is to make the subject academically rigorous at all levels, while also enabling the pupils to enjoy the thrill and excitement of the subject.

Our teaching methods use the best of both traditional and modern approaches and we keep our teaching style varied in order to take account of different learning styles.

Everyone loves a good story and history is packed full of fascinating stories. For example Year 5, in their study of Tudor times, love learning about Morton, Henry VII's cunning Chancellor of the Exchequer, who carried out a brilliant scheme, nicknamed Morton's Fork. He extracted money from rich and poor alike - no change from modern times then! Our detailed study of the Tudors reveals many other modern parallels, including the discovery that conspicuous spending to impress is nothing new: Henry VIII and Francis I of France tried to outdo each other at The Field of the Cloth of Gold by building fountains that gushed out wine rather than water.