Lower Secondary
International History

My love of History developed through my learning at school. I had a fantastic History teacher who was passionate about the stories of the past. I think History is so fascinating because it’s about people and stories. It might be the great men and women of History, life-changing social movements, catastrophic wars, or everyday life. All, fundamentally, boil down to people and that, for me, makes it so intrinsically interesting.

I followed my love of History to university. I went to the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland to study for a Modern and Contemporary History degree, as I was fascinated by Irish History. With History, there are always limitless areas of study, and I also discovered a passion for American History at university. I was lucky enough to spend a summer researching at Cornell University in the United States for a Professor of History there. I am currently learning more about the history of Empire, local history and working on the representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups in British History. That’s another reason I love History, there is always more to discover!

I have been teaching for the last 15 years in the west of Cornwall. I love interacting with my students, imparting the stories of History but also encouraging them to develop their skills as historians. Evaluating sources of information is vital in life, and I am pleased to be helping young people to be doing this. As well as teaching all year groups at my secondary school, I have marked at GCSE and A level for examining boards.

When not teaching I like to relax by visiting historic places and by being in nature, either at the beach or in the countryside with my family. I also enjoy historical fiction and cooking.

I look forward to sharing my passion for History with you.

My passion for History began with an early trip to Hampton Court Palace. My imagination was captured walking the corridors trodden by Henry VIII and many others whose influence is felt in our country to this day.

As my education progressed and my interest in History widened, I began to appreciate the process of critically assessing and combining a variety of historical sources to construct my own interpretation of events. As Confucius stated, “study the past, if you would define the future”.

I took my undergraduate degree in History at Liverpool University and followed this with a PGCE in the subject, later completing an MSc in Education at the University of Oxford. My lifelong love of learning continued more recently with the completion of a Graduate Diploma in Law from Nottingham Law School. This latter course of study was completed by distance learning, which has given me a first-hand appreciation of the unique requirements of those studying remotely rather than in a classroom environment.

I have over 20 years of experience in teaching GCSE and A level History and Government and Politics at Secondary schools in Derbyshire, Oxfordshire and London. During this time, in addition to classroom teaching, I have had the responsibility of being both Head of History and Head of Sixth Form. More recently, I have held a role as an examiner for GCSE and A Level History.

I have always taken a great deal of satisfaction from seeing my students develop their critical thinking as Historians and have taken great pleasure in seeing many of them choose to study the subject at excellent universities and beyond.

When not engaging in my love for History and Politics, I enjoy singing in a community choir and playing the clarinet in a local wind ensemble. I also love exploring the Oxfordshire countryside where I live with my husband, two children and dog, who unsurprisingly is named Henry!

I look forward to sharing my passion for History with the students of Wolsey Hall Oxford.

I have always been fascinated by History, and in particular political History. For me History is the study of people, their ambitions and the interactions between them. I enjoy thinking about History in a global sense. What were the driving forces behind huge changes in the world, such as wars and revolutions? How and why did some individuals have such a significant impact and continue to do so today?

My love for History probably came from a childhood of running around the gardens of National Trust houses and visiting castles and heritage sites. These captured my imagination, and I wanted to find out what it was like to live in a different era. Later, my History teacher was a great inspiration and opened up a new world of learning. I became interested in the History of ideas and power struggles. I studied History at A Level and then at university and particularly enjoyed Russian History and Cold War History modules.

After completing my degree, I travelled the world. I went to South America for a year, travelled around Europe. Travelling and learning first hand about different countries, their cultures and History fascinated me. I was also interested in the legacy of historical events and how people viewed these.

On my return, I studied a PGCE at the University of Ulster on the north coast of Ireland and then spent ten years working in England, where I taught History and Politics to A level. Most recently, I was the Head of History in a school in the UAE. I loved working with students from all over the world and the different perspectives they brought to lessons. I was also able to support students for whom English was not their first language and help prepare them for the IGCSE.

I have tutored GCSE and A Level students and been an A Level examiner. I enjoy helping people to reach their full potential, and I am always glad to help. I am approachable and friendly, and I look forward to helping you to learn. I am always happy to talk about History!

In my spare time, my hobbies include reading, walking in the countryside, camping and cooking. I currently live in Ireland with my partner and my son.

I am a fully qualified History teacher with a BA degree in Ancient History and a Master’s in Political Communication, both from Cardiff University. I always knew that I wanted to share my love of History, so I went on to complete a PGCE at Bath Spa University and became a teacher. I am currently teaching Lower Secondary, IGCSE and A Level students at an inner London NI boys’ school. Alongside History, I have taught both Religious Education and Geography, been a form tutor and led the school equality council.

I have an up-to-date knowledge of the History curriculum and am incredibly passionate about my subject. I thoroughly enjoy how history helps us understand the way we are today. It is a dynamic and exciting subject – as we study the past there are constantly new perspectives and voices to examine. Our history completely shapes our future, and I believe it is so important for students to learn about past events so they can better understand the world we live in.

I love history and I enjoy keeping up to date with politics putting my Master’s to use. When not engaging in these I enjoy playing netball; I am part of two teams and play twice a week. My love of sport continues into most games but especially rugby, and since being at an inner London boys’ school, I’ve even found myself enjoying football.

I am really looking forward to sharing my love of history with students at Wolsey Hall Oxford and hope to inspire the budding historians of the future.

I am passionate about History and one of my main reasons for going into teaching was my desire never to give the subject up. At school, I was inspired and hooked by my History teacher, and I’ve really enjoyed my own career teaching in a wide range of secondary schools across the country. I gained my History degree and teaching qualification at Oxford University. Some years later I completed a distance learning MA in Theology, so I also have some experience of learning from home.

My students often describe me as kind and helpful, always willing to go the extra mile to support them in their studies. I enjoy the challenge of helping students to be the best they can be, building up their confidence and discovering their interests and passions. History is such a big topic, encompassing all of human life; as such, there is something for everyone. I particularly like to find links between topics, to study the art and music of the time periods or to ask what was happening elsewhere at the same time. There is always more and more History to enjoy and more to discover.

When I’m not tutoring, I enjoy spending time with my dogs. In fact, I’m pretty much obsessed with dogs! Pablo and Milo are very valued members of my family, and they go everywhere with me. They especially like visiting castles and historical sites! I also enjoy music, particularly singing and playing piano.

I look forward to being able to support and assist you and hope that you enjoy finding out more about History during your studies.