History Department

“Every generation, scholars have arisen proclaiming that they have found a new key which unlocks the essence of the past in a way that no previous historical approach has ever done. Our own generation is no exception to this rule – and it will probably be no exception to this fate.” - David Cannadine

In the twenty-first century, history has become a battleground of ideas. The so-called culture wars have brought the past into sharp focus—debated, reinterpreted, politicised, and, at times, erased. Should Colston’s statue have been thrown into Bristol harbour? Why did Britain vote to leave the EU in 2016, decades after joining the EEC in 1975? Should museums return artefacts taken during the British Empire?

At Cheltenham Ladies’ College, we believe History is not a static record preserved in textbooks, but a dynamic and evolving dialogue between past and present. Our very surroundings offer daily reminders of how history continues to shape the world we live in. Studying History here means learning to question, to analyse, and to challenge accepted narratives with academic rigour and open-minded inquiry.

All year groups are taught by passionate subject specialists, and History remains one of the most popular subjects at College. Beyond the classroom, the department offers a rich co-curricular programme. Students can deepen their interests through our History and Politics societies, attend lectures from visiting experts, and participate in trips to destinations such as Berlin, Hampton Court Palace, the Black Country Living Museum, and the UC5 Historic Environment trip.

At Cheltenham Ladies’ College, studying History equips girls not only with knowledge, but with the intellectual tools to question the world around them—and to shape its future.

LC PROGRAMME

In LC1 and LC2, students follow a two-year pathway based on compelling enquiry questions that explore local, national and international history from 1066 through to the aftermath of the First World War. This approach encourages curiosity, critical thinking and independent judgement.

Example LC1 enquiry questions include “Did the Normans bring a ‘truck load of trouble’ to England?”, “How did women change the course of Mongolian history?” and “What 5 objects best tell the story of CLC?”

In LC2, enquiry questions may include “What made the transatlantic slave trade possible – and how did it come to an end?”, “How did the Industrial Revolution change Britain?” and “How far did WWI change the lives of women in Britain?”

In LC3, students begin the GCSE programme with the AQA History unit Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and Dictatorship.