History Scholars
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History Scholars Summer Course
Explore the people, events and ideas that have shaped the world and develop confidence interpreting the past with Atlas Summer Courses. Our History Scholars summer course, designed for students aged 12–14, gives students the opportunity to explore history beyond their usual studies while developing their ability to analyse evidence, consider different perspectives and construct reasoned arguments.
Through interactive small-group lessons, students are encouraged to question historical accounts, examine sources and think critically about why events happened and how our understanding of the past is formed.
What's Included?
Your residential History Scholars summer course includes academic teaching, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your chosen programme.
What Is History Scholars?
History Scholars gives students the opportunity to investigate the past and explore how historians develop our understanding of people, societies and events.
Studying history involves much more than remembering dates and facts. Historians examine sources, compare different accounts, question interpretations and use evidence to construct arguments about why events happened and what they meant.
It can also involve looking at the same event from several perspectives. Historical sources may disagree, evidence may be incomplete and interpretations can change as historians ask new questions.
A History Scholars summer course gives students the opportunity to explore these ideas in an age-appropriate academic environment while developing a more analytical approach to understanding the past.
What Will Students Explore on the History Scholars Course?
There is no prescribed syllabus that every student follows. Atlas Summer Courses tutors create their own syllabi, drawing on their expertise while taking the interests, abilities and learning needs of their students into account.
Depending on the tutor and group, students could explore different historical periods, events, individuals and societies while developing their understanding of how historians investigate the past.
They might consider questions such as:
- How do historians know what happened in the past?
- What makes a historical source useful?
- Why do historians sometimes disagree about the same event?
- What causes societies and political systems to change?
- How can the actions of individuals influence historical events?
- How can we build a convincing historical argument from evidence?
The exact content will vary depending on the expertise of the individual tutor and the interests of the group. Any topics or syllabi shown on our website are examples only and should not be taken as a guarantee of exactly what students will study.
How Students Learn
Our Scholars courses are designed to make learning engaging, interactive and appropriately challenging for students aged 12–14.
12 hours of small-group lessons
Across the one-week programme, students take part in structured small-group classes. Lessons are designed to encourage students to think actively and engage with the subject, with tutors involving everyone and fostering curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
Each lesson follows a process of review, learning and application, giving students opportunities to revisit ideas, develop their understanding and then apply what they have learned.
Within History Scholars, this could involve discussing historical questions, examining sources, comparing different interpretations and developing reasoned conclusions through age-appropriate activities. The precise approach will depend on the tutor, their expertise and the interests of the group.
The aim is to create an interactive environment in which students can participate actively, ask questions and develop greater confidence analysing and discussing the past.
Who Is History Scholars For?
Our History Scholars summer course for 12–14-year-olds is designed for students who are curious about the past and want to explore history beyond their usual studies.
Students don't need specialist historical knowledge. The course may particularly appeal to those who enjoy history, investigating why events happened, examining evidence or discussing different interpretations of people and events.
Students will be encouraged to develop transferable skills including critical thinking, source analysis, evaluating evidence, constructing arguments, communication and independent learning.
Learn from Expert Tutors
Atlas Summer Courses tutors are experienced educators and subject specialists active across academia, industry and education.
They bring their own expertise and interests into their teaching and have the freedom to shape their syllabus around both their specialism and the students in their group. This allows each History Scholars summer course to explore different periods, events and historical questions while providing an appropriate level of academic challenge.
Tutors are confirmed closer to the summer, so profiles on our website are examples of tutors who have previously worked with us rather than confirmation of who will teach a particular course.
What Can Students Gain from History Scholars?
History Scholars gives students the opportunity to explore history beyond their usual studies while developing the skills involved in thinking critically about the past.
Students can practise examining sources, evaluating evidence, comparing different interpretations and constructing reasoned arguments while becoming more confident approaching unfamiliar historical questions.
These skills can support future learning across subjects such as history, politics, law, philosophy, English and other humanities and social sciences.
Most importantly, a History Scholars summer course gives students the opportunity to explore their interest in history and discover that understanding the past involves questioning, investigating and interpreting evidence rather than simply learning what happened.
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FAQs about Our Summer Courses
No. You don't usually need to have studied your chosen subject before joining an Atlas Summer Courses summer course. Courses are designed for the relevant age group, and tutors can adapt their approach to the abilities, interests and experience of the students in their group.
There is no fixed curriculum that every student follows. Our tutors create their own syllabi based on their academic expertise and the interests and learning needs of their students.
This means the exact topics can vary between courses and years. Any syllabus or topics shown on our website are examples from previous courses and shouldn't be taken as a guarantee of exactly what you'll study.
Teaching depends on your age group. Students aged 9–12 and Scholars aged 12–14 learn through structured, interactive small-group classes. Students aged 13–15 combine small-group seminars with private study, while students aged 16–17 and 18–24 experience seminars, tutorials and independent study.
Across our programmes, teaching is designed to encourage active participation, questioning and independent thinking rather than simply listening to lectures.
Your course includes your academic programme, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your programme.
What's included can vary depending on the programme, age group and package you choose, so we recommend checking the individual course details for the full inclusions before applying.
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