Work in the Subjects of the Curriculum (continued)

HISTORY (continued)

There is a good stock of well-selected class books, and the departmental library is being built up steadily. A fairly large history section in the school library mainly supports the work of the big sixth-form groups. While this will undoubtedly require strengthening and expanding, the needs of younger readers should also be remembered.

All the teaching, except of two first-year forms, is shared by three specialist masters, all holding second-class honours degrees in history. The head, of the department, who was appointed to this post less than two years ago, is a vigorous leader of the team, whose oral teaching is attractive and thorough and whose use of books of many kinds helps to maintain a good level of interest in the boys. His principal colleague, who was appointed in 1958, also makes a very good contribution to the teaching. His lessons are well prepared and briskly delivered, and the work is recorded in a variety of interesting ways, while he is meticulous in his marking of the essays of the older boys. The third member of the history staff is a conscientious young master whose work shows promise but who has yet to learn to adapt his attitude and methods to the reactions of the pupils.

The boys generally work well and show good understanding of history in discussion, in writing, and in the simple research projects which some of them undertake. The oral part of the lessons seen during the inspection were satisfactory except when talks given by selected individuals or groups of boys occasionally lost cogency to the point of boredom. In the written work a clearer distinction needs to be developed between notes and formal answers to questions. In the sixth form much good written work is being done, and this is well backed by dates and other factual evidence. It is suggested that perhaps even more could be done to widen the reading of these older pupils.

ECONOMICS

This subject is well established in the sixth form, where it attracts so many boys that it has been necessary to organise two sets for economics and associated subjects in both lower and middle sixths. The arrangements regarding external examinations are that the lower-sixth pupils, of whom there are 22 in all, take the ordinary-level papers at the end of a one-year course, and that middle-sixth pupils at present numbering 31 take the advanced-level papers at the end of two years. Although the whole course is. inevitably rather concentrated, the arrangements do not appear to operate with severity upon either pupils or staff. It is probably not desirable that the subject should appear in the curriculum lower down the school as an external examination possibility, but it is interesting to note that one fifth-form set (the boys in VC and VD who drop either physics or chemistry) studies it on a nonexamination basis.

The syllabus has been carefully constructed to meet examination needs and to maintain the interest of the pupils by emphasising the practical nature of the subject. Concrete facts such as population distributions and factors controlling the location of major industries are discussed first and used as an introduction to economic theory and the study of the economic structure of modern Britain. Visits are arranged to such places as the Stock Exchange, Lloyds, and conferences dealing with economic matters.

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