HISTORY AND POLITICS

It’s been another action-packed year in the History and Politics Department both inside and beyond the classroom. This was a busy year for major historical anniversaries, with amongst others, the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence in August 2022, the centenary of the founding of the BBC in November 2022 and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the NHS in July 2023. With so much History in the news, political controversy rife on both sides of the Atlantic and the prospect of both a UK General Election and a US Presidential Election in 2024, it’s no wonder the subjects are thriving.

This year, another 112 students across Year 7Year 13 have advanced their oracy and advocacy skills by participating in our House Public Speaking and Debating competitions. Motions have been enormously varied, encompassing everything from the existence of God and the UK housing crisis to climate change and the future of the music industry. From a History and Politics perspective, the morality of candidates for office, the value of moral judgements in History and the idea of extending term-limits have all been up for debate. The overall standard has been excellent, with judges consistently impressed by the level of preparation undertaken by participants and the genuine skill they demonstrate in presenting arguments and dealing with challenging questions. Special thanks must go to Ms Clark, Ms Chapman and Ben Brooks-Johnson (Year 13) as regular judges. Student competitions have been fantastic. It’s great to see so many students getting actively involved in such useful and interesting discussions. delivered by Neil Smith, Head at Cheadle Hulme and former Head of History at Manchester Grammar School, on the Vietnam War. The focus of the talk was on American Withdrawal from Vietnam, and it provided excellent revision of a key topic on the GCSE course, as well as prompting some excellent questions from our students.

Mr Croxton accompanied a group of our most talented Year 9 historians to a thoughtprovoking Holocaust Memorial Event at the Robert Bolt Theatre at Sale Waterside in late January 2023. The event is held annually to coincide with the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. It involves presentations and performances by groups of students from local primary and secondary schools, as well as music and recollections from leading members of the Trafford Jewish community. The event concluded with the Jewish Memorial Prayer and the lighting of Three Candles of Remembrance, symbolising both all victims of the Holocaust all other tragic genocides. The afternoon provided an opportunity for reflection and broadening of our understanding for all involved.

A group of our talented Year 12 Historians attended the online Corpus Christi Cambridge History Subject Masterclass in late March 2023 with engaging and though-provoking talks provided by Dr Charles Read on ‘Why did so many people die during the Irish famine of the 1840s?’ and Dr Jesus Sanjurjo-Ramos, ‘Are you proud of slavery?

Empires and White Supremacy in the Atlantic World’. We very much hope that this will inspire some of them to apply to read History at some of our most prestigious universities.

Finally, organising, presenting and watching the talks given by students at the History and Politics Society this year has been a great experience. With topics ranging from niche political ideologies such as Raphael Smith’s presentation on accelerationism, to a discussion of the Falklands War led by Ben Brooks-Johnson. So I would like to thank everyone who presented and attended and wish the best for the future of the History and Politics Society.

All of our GCSE History students in Year 10 and Year 11 attended an excellent and wide-ranging talk

N Croxton & T Bolton