Chris Eldridge, Head of History at Wells Cathedral School, has been made a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (RHS) in recognition of the unique work he and his team have been doing in promoting the study
of medieval history in the Sixth Form at Wells. He is thrilled to have been made a Fellow, especially as it is
normally university-level academics who receive the recognition.
“When I first arrived in Wells I was captivated by our 10th century origins and the medieval heritage that we live and work within. Not studying medieval history in this context looked to me like a lost opportunity. Yet medieval history tends to get neglected in British schools. A lot of teachers think it’s either incomprehensible or irrelevant to modern students.
I hope the work we do at Wells studying and promoting it dispels this myth.”
The RHS is trying to increase its engagement with secondary level education, and Chris will be involved
in future initiatives for this sector. He has been invited to speak at the Historical Association’s forthcoming
national conference in Bristol on 13th May about ‘Making Medieval History accessible to Sixth Formers.’