Fury as schools fail to teach kids about Agincourt, Trafalgar and Waterloo

English schools are failing to teach about major events in British history including the battles of Agincourt, Trafalgar and Waterloo. A major report sounds the alarm about pupils missing out on key moments in the story of this country.

Freedom of Information requests to nearly 250 state secondary schools and an analysis of exam board information found “fewer than one in five schools” teach the Battle of Agincourt – with “only 11% teaching the Battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo”. Less than half (49%) taught pupils about the Glorious Revolution.

Celebrated historian Lord Roberts – known for his landmark biographies of Napoleon and Churchill – said children must be taught the history of the nation “in a manner that seeks to do more than simply inculcate shame about our past”.

Writing in the introduction to the Policy Exchange report, he said: “It ought to be the birthright of English pupils to learn the story of their nation and the manner in which it has shaped and been shaped by its interactions with the wider world. Teaching the long narrative arc of British history in a manner that enables young people to orientate themselves, both historically and within our modern society, is only becoming more essential as our nation becomes more diverse and culturally fragmented.”

School history, he added, must reject “ideological one-sidedness and the imposition of faddish prejudices on men and women who led complex but enthralling lives”.

The researchers are also concerned about the lack of world history studied by pupils. While six out of 10 GCSE students have classes on the Tudors, with slightly more studying “health” through time and more than three in four learning about Nazi Germany, only one percent studied China.

The think tank recommends a new “British history survey paper” should be introduced as a core requirement for all students taking history at GCSE.

Zachary Marsh, the lead author of the report, said that if this covered the years between 1066 and 1989 it would “give all students vital jumping off points in their historical knowledge and break the endless cycle of studying the Tudors and Nazi Germany at GCSE and A Level”.

Former Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “As a boy who arrived in this great country from Baghdad, I know how important it is that every child in this country – regardless of birth and background – has the opportunity to learn about Britain’s inspiring heritage.”

Former Schools Minister Sir Nick Gibb said “too many pupils are never exposed to the full chronological breadth of British history”.

He said: “It cannot be right that a pupil could achieve a ‘9’ in GCSE History and yet never have heard of the Glorious Revolution or the Act of Union.”

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson said: “While no nation has a flawless history, we should take pride in our legacy of success, hospitality, and generosity. When called upon to fight, we have prevailed – and then helped rebuild the nations we once stood against.

“We have welcomed asylum seekers, delivered humanitarian aid across the globe, and provided food and water to countries in need. Teaching our history to the next generation is essential – not only to foster patriotism, but to unite our country around the one thing we all share: our British identity.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start. The independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment review is considering how to ensure young people have access to a broad and balanced curriculum that ensures young people leave school ready for work and ready for life.”