Perse historians achieve national recognition and academic success

Outstanding examination outcomes, national awards and places at leading universities continue to highlight the strength of History at The Perse.

The History Department at The Perse has developed an exceptional record of academic success, consistently performing among the strongest centres in the country at both GCSE and A level. Alongside outstanding examination results, pupils continue to earn recognition through national competitions and academic awards, while many go on to study the subject at leading universities.

At GCSE, the department has been the highest-performing centre nationally within the OCR cohort in three of the past four years. In the most recent examination series, The Perse achieved the highest proportion of grade 9s in the OCR cohort by almost 20 percentage points and was the only centre to secure 100% of grades at 4-9.

Individual pupils have also achieved national distinction. In almost every recent year, a Perse historian has recorded the highest overall score in the country, while last year one pupil received the Joe Scott Award for achieving the highest national mark in the History Around Us component.

The department’s success is reflected in pupils’ enthusiasm for continuing their study of History beyond school. This year, 12 Perse pupils are progressing to study the subject at university, including at Cambridge, UCL and LSE.

Academic ambition extends beyond the curriculum. A Lower Sixth pupil was recently Commended in Trinity College Cambridge’s Robert Robson Prize for Essays in History, securing an invitation to visit the College and meet members of its History department, as well as encouragement to apply to study the subject there in the future.

These achievements reflect not only exceptional academic outcomes but also a culture of intellectual curiosity, scholarship and ambition. They are a testament to the commitment of Perse pupils and the expertise, encouragement and support provided by the department’s teaching staff.