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Thanks to parallel planning by the history and English departments, pupils at Kesgrave High School in Ipswich are learning about significant historical figures and the power of persuasive speech.

History staff at Kesgrave High School were keen to improve their pupils’ understanding of historical significance by exploring speeches, including those of Winston Churchill. Prompted by the emphasis on working with other subjects in the new secondary curriculum, the Heads of history and English decided to develop a unit of work in each subject based on great speeches. By transferring knowledge and understanding across the two subjects in a meaningful way, they hoped that pupils would gain new and critical insight into Churchill’s historical significance and the defining features of persuasive speaking and writing. Both units of work were taught at the same time in the summer term of year 9.

Parallel learning

The history unit was based on the question ‘Why do we remember Winston Churchill and what makes him historically significant?’ ‘Would Churchill have been forgotten by history if World War 2 had not happened?’ Pupils began by building up their historical knowledge and understanding of Churchill through a series of activities looking at key episodes in his life before the outbreak of World War 2. As part of this they studied Adolf Hitler’s statement in a radio broadcast in 1942: ‘Churchill, what has he achieved in all his lifetime? … had this war not come, who would speak of Winston Churchill?’

They then critically evaluated Churchill’s role during the war as an orator, a military strategist and a diplomat. They analysed and assessed the impact of some of the leader’s speeches, including the famous ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ speech delivered to the House of Commons in the aftermath of Dunkirk. The work concluded by focusing on how Churchill has been remembered since his death through his funeral in 1965, Churchill centenary celebrations in 1974 and the recent debate run by the BBC to find the ‘Greatest Briton’. Studying these events introduced the pupils to criteria for judging the historical significance of Churchill along with other key individuals from British history.

The English unit was structured around the key question ‘What makes a great speech and why do they matter?’ The pupils were introduced to a range of inspirational speeches, including Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech of 1963 and William Pitt’s speech to the House of Commons in 1792 supporting the abolition of the slave trade. They identified the images created, considered their impact on the listener and focused on language and structure to deconstruct what was said. Finally the pupils worked in groups and in role as Winston Churchill to write and perform their own version of the ‘We shall fight on the beaches’ speech and compare it with the original. They considered the kind of language needed to create a powerful message and reviewed each other’s performance.

Changing the course of history

The parallel planning by the two departments strengthened pupils’ learning in both subjects. Having a greater awareness of the techniques necessary to write and deliver powerful speeches helped the pupils understand how Churchill used speeches to raise morale and galvanised British people to fight on at a time when Germany held the upper hand in the war. It also helped them to understand why Churchill’s speeches still resonate with so many people today.

English staff were equally pleased with the impact of placing speeches in their historical context. ‘The sense of time and place adds to pupil engagement and leads to deeper understanding of the text and the way in which the speeches had to be delivered. Most importantly they show pupils that great speeches matter – they make a difference, they change lives and can help change the course of history.’