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History

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‘Those who do not understand their history are doomed to repeat it’ - George Santayana 

Our curriculum develops students’ curiosity about the past by motivating them to study a wide range of UK and World History. These studies are designed to inspire a deep-rooted enthusiasm for understanding the past, while developing the contextual knowledge and related investigation skills to become enthusiastic and engaged critical thinking world citizens. The department is committed to combining a high degree of subject knowledge with a joy for learning about the past to enthuse and inspire all of our students regardless of ability or key stage. It is our belief that for people to understand the world they live in and be successful in adult life, they must have a contextual understanding of world history and the ideas and motivations that shaped it.  

The spiral model that shapes our curriculum design is grounded in the theory of schematic development, a process in which students are motivated to develop, revise and extend their core knowledge bases to allow them to continually progress their understanding. This in turn promotes ever increasing confidence in their learning, by expanding subject and cultural literacy that is empowered by a secure knowledge base. 

KS3

Year Group

Areas of Study

7

Unit 1: What are the key skills that make a great History detective?

Unit 2: Multicultural England: Life and immigration before 1066?

Unit 3: Why did the Normans win the Battle of Hastings?

Unit 4: Church and State: Religion, Rats and Revolt: What was life like in the Middle Ages?

Unit 5: The War of the Roses: An English Civil War?

Unit 6: Beyond Europe: The rise and fall of the Incas?

8

Unit 1: What was King Henry VIII’s ‘Great Matter’?

Unit 2: Gunpowder, Treason and Plot: Which interpretation is most accurate about the events of 1605?

Unit 3: How did parliament take power from the monarchy?

Unit 4: ‘Do you hear the people sing?’: 

What caused the French Revolution?

Unit 5: A Lesson in civilisations? The Kingdom of Benin

Unit 6: A crime against humanity: The Trade in Enslaved peoples

Unit 7: The building of modern Europe: The Industrial Revolution

9

Unit 1: China in crisis:  Was the downfall of the Qing Dynasty inevitable?

Unit 2: ‘The Great War’: What were the causes of the First World War?

Unit 3: Is the ‘Lions led by Donkeys’ view an accurate interpretation of the First World War?

Unit 4: ‘Votes for Women’: Why was there a campaign for Woman’s Suffrage and what did it achieve?

Unit 5: The Russian Revolution: What happened to the Romanovs and the birth of the USSR

GCSE

Board

AQA

Outline of the Course

  • The course studies four areas of history and provides both a detailed knowledge and understanding of world history, as well as advanced analytical skills.  
  • Students will learn in a variety of different ways that are based around investigating key historical events, ideas and individuals. Students will be expected to investigate and evaluate the importance of each area studied.
  • Students will be expected to form short and long written answers based on both their knowledge of events and the source material that has been produced about those events.
  • Students will be expected to read around the key areas that they study and will be asked to explain their research in their lessons.
  • Each paper has a range of question types, from source questions to knowledge and evaluation.

Assessment

 

Type of Assessment

Duration

Weighting

1

Paper 1: Understanding the Modern World

America: Expansion and Consolidation 1840-1895

Conflict and Tension 1918-1939

2 hours

50%

2

Paper 2: Shaping the Nation

Health and the People: Medicine in Society 1000-Present

Elizabethan England c. 1568-1603

2 hours

50%

A Level

Minimum Entry Criteria

Desired: 7 in History (or 7 in English Literature if the subject is not studied at GCSE)

Essential: 6 in History (or 6 in English Literature if the subject is not studied at GCSE)

Board

OCR

Outline of the Course

  • Unit 1: British period study: England 1445-1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VII
  • Unit 2: Non-British period study: The Cold War in Asia 1945-93
  • Unit 3: Depth Study – China and its Rulers 1839-1989
  • Unit 4: Individual Assignment – an opportunity to research and write on a topic of your choice

Assessment

 

Type of Assessment

Duration

Weighting

1

Examination: The first question is a source response, focusing on the emergence of the conflict between the Yorkists and Lancastrians and the first downfall of Henry VI. The second question is an analytical essay, focusing on the reigns of Edward IV, Richard III and Henry VII.

1 hour 30 minutes

25%

2

Examination: The first essay requires precise analytical thinking, whilst the second looks at the rule of the presidents and ideologies in developing aspects of the Cold war.

1 hour

15%

3

Examination: Three essay questions: The first question focuses on comparing and contrasting historian’s opinions of either The First Opium War, The Boxer Rebellion and The Cultural Revolution. The next section requires you to answer two thematic questions which encourage an evaluation of the themes and timing points that have led to the development of modern China.

2 hours 30 minutes

40%

4

Coursework: Independent Study Essay: 4,000 words: An exciting opportunity to pursue your own research interests and write an essay on a topic of your choosing. This is excellent academic preparation for competitive Russel Group university courses.

2 terms

20%
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