MY BURFORD - MRS THOMAS- HEAD OF ENGLISH

Our Head of History Mrs E Thomas reflects on her role and time at Burford School as part of our new 'My Burford' series.

This feature series aims to shine a spotlight on the superb staff team at Burford who make it possible for us to offer 'the best of education' to our students.

Unbelievably, I have worked at Burford for nearly 10 years, starting here in September 2015. I joined the school as Head of History having previously worked at a school in Canterbury, Kent, as Head of History and Assistant Head of House. I was looking to relocate to Oxfordshire and was drawn to apply for the position at Burford due to its outstanding reputation, unique status as a state boarding school, and its emphasis on encouraging students’ pursuit of academic excellence and individual achievement.

My role is diverse and varied. Primarily, I teach history across KS3-KS5 as well as Politics and Ancient History at A Level. Alongside, teaching I am privileged to lead a department of four fantastic history and politics teachers all of whom work incredibly hard to support the progress of students across the school. The team is collaborative, supportive, and importantly enjoys a good discussion and debate! My role involves a variety of aspects including developing and reviewing the curriculum, monitoring student progress, organising assessments, trips, and opportunities for students to extend our provision beyond the classroom. I feel a significant responsibility particularly in relation to the curriculum given the pertinence of our subjects to students’ understanding of the ever-changing political, social, and economic landscape.

I thoroughly enjoy my job due to how varied each day is. There is nothing better than the satisfaction of watching students grasping new and challenging concepts and grappling with the complexities of the historical enquiries we investigate.

It is difficult to pick one highlight from my time here however the trips and opportunities provided for students beyond the classroom have been memorable. Accompanying Year 9 students on the Battlefield Tours and the Sixth Form trips to Berlin and Krakow have a profound impact on students and their understanding of the history they have studied. I would like to take an opportunity to publicly thank our most wonderful guide, Robert Watson for all the Battlefield Tours, he has accompanied us on. At the age of eighty he has finally retired after 28 years and 280 trips!

Beyond the classroom you will find me outside, on an adventure, entertaining an energetic 18-month toddler – usually all three combined! I cycle, run and love walking especially in the hills and mountains. I also play badminton competitively outside of school – both women’s and mixed doubles. I love to travel and have plenty of places on my bucket list still to tick off!

I have a never-ending to do list however one exciting event we are currently organising is an evening in conversation with renowned historians Dominic Sandbrook and Sir Anthony Seldon on Tuesday 4 February next year. Keep an eye out for further information in the next couple of weeks and keep the date free as this promises to be a fantastic evening!

My three words to describe Burford are dynamic, inclusive and community.