Course Content

Class 11 start with the effects of the Fall of Rome, surveying some of the cultural groups which rose and fell, such as the Goths, Franks, Celts, Vikings, Angles and Saxons.

They look at the Celtic society in Britain and Ireland and moved on to the Feudal System and Chivalry, learning about the Chivalric Code, the role of women, the use and meaning of heraldry, and the arms and armour used throughout the Middle Ages.

The 16- and 17-year-olds also study the split of the Catholic and Byzantine churches and the influence that these churches had on the different parts of Europe and Eurasia, as well their wider influence on power systems, art, architecture and culture.

Additional topics include heresy and witch hunts, the Plague, the Spanish Inquisition, the Knights Templar, and the Crusades.

The pupils create a Main Lesson book with summaries, illustrations, and notes and creative writing. There is an emphasis on art work, especially on calligraphy.


The pupils also create their own heraldic arms and explore the concepts of Islamic Design, creating their own design from the templates and styles used in the Arab world.