English and History collide to make great impact

Priory’s History and English departments are working together – and it’s proving beneficial for the pupils. 

Head of English, Mrs Gidden, and Lead Teacher for History, Mr Eccles, got together around 18 months ago to talk about their curriculums and how they could collaborate. 

Year 8s are currently covering World War 1 in History and in English they are writing about the conflict. 

The Tier 3 words and facts about the conflict pupils are learning in History are being used in Mrs Gidden’s creative language lessons about the period and it’s producing work in both subjects of a high standard. 

Mr Eccles said: “When I first joined Priory, Mrs Gidden talked to me about History and English collaborating as a lot of English texts have an historical context. 

“We looked for an opportunity where we could ensure our curriculums worked together and World War 1 was perfect for this. 

“Year 8s are covering the Great War in both History and English in different ways. In History, they get the facts and the context and then in English, they have the opportunity to express it in writing and be more emotive about it. 

“We are hoping to do it with other units in the future which naturally overlap as well as with other subjects.” 

Mrs Gidden said: “Pupils are excited about the lessons overlapping. We have an English unit called ‘So Quick And So Deadly,’ which is short, controlled, creative writing and the theme is conflict. 

“Most Year 8 pupils are using war and they are using vocabulary they have learnt in History such as trenchfoot, bayonets, gas attacks, artillery – Tier 2 and 3 words they wouldn’t have normally used without learning about it in History. 

“It’s astonishing, it makes their work such a high standard and every pupil has responded to it. It’s beneficial to the Year 8 pupils and we hope to collaborate more.”