Year 11s visit Notting Hill and Spitalfields

During the second week of November, 2023, our Year 11 students, studying GCSE history, visited Notting Hill and Spitalfields. The purpose of the trip was to help bring elements of history, which students are studying for their upcoming GCSE exams, to life. In particular, their paper which focuses on migration through time. 

During the first half of the day, students were given a tour of Notting Hill by one of their history teachers. There, students saw a range of sites, such as Island Studios, where Bob Marley and the Wailers recorded two studio albums; Portobello Road Market; and the site of the Mangrove Restaurant - famous for the ‘Mangrove Nine’ court case of 1970.

The second half of the day began with lunch at Spitalfields Market - famous for its links to the Huguenot textile industry. Students then had a tour of Spitalfields and the surrounding area, led by former Ruislip High School Deputy Headteacher, Mr Rich. He showed the students remnants of Victorian tenements in Whitechapel, as well as evidence of Jewish, Huguenot and Bangladeshi migration to the area.      

Aahana, Year 11, said: “The trip was a great opportunity to gain more insight into history and culture, which will also be beneficial for upcoming assessments.”

Kyran, Year 11, added: “It was a great trip. It helped with my knowledge for the migration course.”

The history department would like to thank the residents of Whitechapel and Notting Hill, who were happy to share their experiences of migration. Thanks also to Mr Rich for leading a fantastic tour, which will no doubt support the students' understanding of the course. 

Finally, well done to all of the students who attended the trip - your behaviour when representing Ruislip High School was consistently outstanding throughout the day.