The Team and Facilities:

There is a dedicated team of four History specialists, including the Leader of History. We are a small but enthusiastic team bringing different strengths and ideas to the teaching of History.  Lessons are based on a wide range of resources and activities, including a variety of History books that students of all ages can access.

Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3 we introduce students to historical concepts and skills as well as exploring different historical periods.  Throughout the course in years 7, 8 and 9 we encourage students to investigate History from the UK, Europe and across the world. Students really enjoy the lessons, which enables them to engage with new and interesting concepts, times and people. We follow the national curriculum, looking at the History of England and the UK from 1066 to 1900 in order to understand the country in which we live today and how it developed.  We also put this into an international context by considering the role of the UK in the world and how the wider world has impacted on the development of the UK, such as the industrial revolution.

In Year 7 students get an introduction to historical skills by looking at Ancient Rome. We move onto looking at the middle Ages; focusing on the Norman Conquest, life in medieval England, the development of parliament and the impact of the plague. Students then focus on the Islamic World and the Crusades before finishing Year 7 looking at the Tudors and the English Reformation.

In Year 8 students look at the emergence of the United Kingdom; starting with the Stuarts and the British Civil War before moving onto the growth of the British Empire and the industrial Revolution. Students then investigate the slave trade and the causes and consequences of the French Revolution. Finally, students look at different campaigns for Civil Rights, from South Africa, to the USA to Northern Ireland.

In Year 9 students start looking at the development of medicine, from the ancient Greeks and Romans until the creation of the NHS. After this, students will have an overview of the 20^th Century; starting with the First World War, then the interwar period and the emergences of European dictatorships in the Soviet Union, Italy and Germany, After this the students will study the Second World War, the holocaust and finish the year looking at post-Colonialism and the end of the European Empires.

Key Stage 4

Students who choose History as an option at GCSE will study the AQA Specification. The course consists of 2 papers each of two topics each. In Year 10 students will study America 1840–1895: Expansion and consolidation; the America West and Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972; The Cold War.

In Year 11 students will study Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day; Medicine through time and Elizabethan England, c1568–1603.

They will develop their ability to critically evaluate information, examining sources and reaching conclusions.

Key Stage 5

In Year 12 we focus on the theme of rights and freedoms in the twentieth century, looking at the USA and at South Africa. We consider the Social, Political and Economic History of the USA (1917-1980) and the rise and demise of Apartheid in South Africa (1948-1993).

In Year 13 we study the British experience of warfare, 1790-1918, including the Napoleonic wars and World War One.  Students also complete an essay on an interpretation relating to the French Revolution as coursework.  This coursework is excellent preparation for the researching and essay writing skills which are essential at university.

Students find this course extremely challenging but highly rewarding. We read a lot and we write a lot of essays. We make no apologies for this and with the expert help of our teachers we have helped our students make significant progress in their writing. This is very helpful for our students most of whom go on to university.

A Level History is not just for students interested in social sciences and humanities. The hard sciences require students to reason and analyse but many university courses in science will also require students to produce a 10,000 word dissertation in their third year. The support we give in developing complex writing is not to be underestimated.

Please see links below for the History Curriculum Intent and easy read curriculum map, which explains what your child is learning and when throughout the year.