HISTORY

Department members:
Mrs Diana Gillespie (Head of Department)
Mrs Sandra Willis
Mr Richard Kuhn
Mr Paul Brayford

Levels taught in the department:
Key Stage 3
GCSE
AS and A2 Level

History is taught throughout the school. National Curriculum History is taught through KS3 and the subject is a popular option at GCSE, AS and A2. Prospective History undergraduates are also given the opportunity to take the Advanced Extension Award examination in History at the end of Year 13.

Course Content in Key Stage 3

	AUTUMN TERM	SPRING TERM	SUMMER TERM
YEAR 7	What is History? History Skills Medieval Quest Events of 1066	The Norman Conquest Medieval Castles	Meet the Peasants Medieval Towns Medieval Belief
YEAR 8	The Reformation Religious Pendulum Bloody Mary	The Catholic Threat Elizabeth I Gunpowder Plot	The Civil War 16th & 17th century People
YEAR 9	Superpower Britain 1750-1900 Industrial Revolution Class Conflict	Origins of World War One Europe 1919 Votes for Women	Rise of Dictators Appeasement Holocaust

A variety of texts and ICT based activities are used during the three year course.

Other activities:

	Year 7 visits include a day at Warwick Castle investigating strategies for attack and defence, an in-school theatre production on the Medieval Period, and a trip to see the Bayeux Tapestry in Normandy.
	Year 8 activities include in-school visits from a number of 17th century artefact sources and museums.
	Year 9 visits include an in-school theatre production on World War One.

Course content in Key Stage 4 (GCSE Level)

	AUTUMN TERM	SPRING TERM	SUMMER TERM
YEAR 10	World War One Weimar Germany	Nazi Germany Russia	Russia
YEAR 11	Women 1900 to Present	Cold War Vietnam War	Revision

	There is no coursework.
	The examination board is AQA. Websites: AQA examination board http://www.aqa.org.uk/ for specific information and access to past examination papers.
	The main text is Modern World History by Ben Walsh, published by John Murray, and we also use a variety of other specific topic books and audio-visual resources.

A-Level History

For information about History at A-level, please click here.

Why Study History?

	Develops a knowledge and understanding of the past, its relation to the present and to current events.
	Develops the capacity to think independently and to challenge assumptions.
	Enables well-informed and well-supported judgements.
	Encourages the ability to construct balanced arguments.
	Addresses the complexity of human motivation, and of cause and consequence.
	Develops specific historical skills such as the interpretation of documentary sources, visual images, audio-visual evidence and political cartoons.
	Provides a meaningful context for developing transferable skills – literacy, numeracy, ICT, problem solving, team work, thinking skills, individual enquiry and creativity.

For information about History at A-level, please click here.

top of page