Abigail Fowler spoke to me and answered a few questions about the club.
1) In your opinion, was there a history society or club when it came to extra curricular activity in history before your appointment?
Before I started the history club there wasn't anything but the normal lessons to further pupils learning. It was key for me to change this. I knew that there were quite a few year sevens interested in history and so I wanted to engage with them and use this passion practically.
2) How did you get the position of Senior Prefect with History Responsibility?
Well it was quite simple I put my name down for the role when the check list came round, I have always loved humanities so any of the options would have made me happy and then they appointed me as the senior prefect of history and I was pleasantly surprised.
3) After the appointment did you have any ideas of how you were going to use the job to change the presence of history in school?
I wanted to really focus in on the Year Sevens due to the weak club atmosphere in the school so I wanted to bring the year sevens together whilst learning to maybe make new friends and learn more.
4) What planning went in to the launch?
I made leaflets to be handed out in registers and I told the history teachers to tell the pupils when it was and who was running it. I talked to the head of history and agreed what topics were best and what lessons we wanted to teach them.
5) What have/will students be studying?
The students have been through the Black Plague, World War Two and are currently working on the Aztecs. I plan to do the Great Fire of London and the Slave Trade. These topics are covered throughout Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. I hope the extra activities benefit the students learning.
6) What feedback have you had?
I've had positive feedback from the pupils who attend. One of the students, Rhys, likes it because he loves history and Sam comes along because she likes learning in different ways such as watching videos about the events and creative tasks I’ve organised.
7) Do you have plans to run anything else? Revision Classes? Trips?
I do want to organise a trip with the students. I also would like to carry on the club for as long as possible as far as any other clubs go, I don't think I will run any others because of school work.
8) Has it helped your learning in History?
Yes it's recapped my knowledge of history, and enhanced my learning by seeing what younger people interpret of the events.
The club is open every Tuesday lunchtime in Room F. Abigail’s passion for the project has led her to be praised by all of her fellow peers and is certainly setting a precedent for the role’s successors when they succeed her next May.
