History
The history department is committed to promoting students’ understanding and appreciation of events, forces and ideas that have shaped the world in which they live, and to allow them to make realistic decisions based on evidence and information about the world.
Students are encouraged to question what they read, to reject the mythology, which sometimes surrounds the past, and to acquire the skills that will enable them to make judgements based on evidence.
Key Stage 3
In Years 7, 8 and 9 students follow the National Curriculum and are studying key themes:
- Year 7: Year 7: Aspects of the Middle Ages, including learning about the Silk Roads, medieval Mali, medieval China and life in England after 1066 and the Norman Conquest. Students will pay particular attention to themes such as conflict and co-operation, power and democracy and every day lives.
- Year 8: Aspects of 1500-1900 including the English Reformation, the American Revolution, Black American civil rights and the British female suffrage movement. Students will pay particular attention to themes such as conflict and co-operation, power and democracy and every day lives.
- Year 9: Aspects of 20th Century including the First World War, the Second World War, the rise of Hitler, Genocide and the Holocaust as well as life in the 1960s. Students will pay particular attention to themes such as conflict and co-operation, power and democracy and every day lives.
Key Stage 4: Edexcel GCSE (1H10)
Students will have the opportunity to study the following topics:
- British Thematic Study with Historic environment: Medicine in Britain 1250- present including The British sector of the Western Front (Paper 1: 30%)
- Period Study: Superpower relations and the Cold War 1941-91 (Paper 2: 20%)
- British Depth Study: Early Elizabethan England 1558-1588 (Paper 2: 20%)
- Modern Depth Study: Weimar and Nazi Germany (Paper 3: 30%)
Key Stage 5: OCR A Level
Students will have the opportunity to study the following topics:
Year 12:
- British period study and Enquiry: The Early Tudors. This module covers the reigns of Henry VII to Mary I (25%)
- Non-British period study: The French Revolution and the rule of Napoleon 1774-1815 (15%)
Year 13:
- Thematic Study and historical interpretations: Russia and its Rulers, 1855-1964 (40%)
- Non-exam assessment: The 100-year topic based essay independently researched essay of 3-4000 words (20%)
