History
Why should students study your subject?
There are so many reasons to study History. History helps you to discover how the world has evolved, without it we cannot truly understand the world that we live in. History provides the skills to look beyond the headlines, to ask questions properly and express our own opinions. It helps us to understand why people in the past behaved as they did and helps us to appreciate that they were not just “good” or “bad”, but motivated in complex and inconsistent ways – just like us. Most of all, the pursuit of historical events and people is fun – a form of time travel!
What skills does your subject teach?
History teaches a variety of skills such as; written and oral communication; arguing; debating; logical thinking; analysis; research; seeing how a complex series of events interact; decision making; interpretation; consequences; deciding between relevant and irrelevant information; social interaction; paying attention to detail; evaluating; balancing strengths and weaknesses; using evidence; significance; collecting data; drawing conclusions; identifying changes; distinguishing between cause and consequence; essay writing – all extremely useful skills that are highly sought by employers!
Why is your subject useful for the world of work, or future employment? What kind of jobs could someone do using your subject? How can students take your subject further, eg at college, university, the world of work etc
The opportunities with a GCSE in history are endless – 34% of History graduates go into administration, management, marketing or finance. Other options also include:
*Teacher *Lecturer *Journalist *Politician *Librarian *Researcher *Office Manager *Scientist
*Doctor *Lawyer *Pilot *Cashier
*Secretary *Public Services *Armed Forces *Entrepreneurs
*Tour Guides *Museum Curator *TV Presenter *Bank Manager
*Writer *Managing Director
to name just a few
What is your overall curriculum intent?
History at this school contributes to the whole school curriculum intent by developing pupil knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world.
The overarching intent of our curriculum for History is to provide students with an interesting history curriculum. We want to inspire a passion for history education and promote the relevance of its content and skill to students today. We want history to provide the foundations for a lifelong engagement with history and the changing world around us.
We want students to leave college with a knowledge base which allows them to understand the changing world we live in. Staff encourage students to become curious, to develop their own opinions and values based on a respect for evidence and to develop a deeper understanding of the present by engaging with and questioning the past. We endeavour for students to be provided with opportunities to study a range of periods in history, a range of civilisations and cultures, local history and social and cultural history. As part of their studies we believe that students should engage with the “history around us” and consider what the historic environment can tell us about people’s lives and beliefs in the past.
• The History department has defined some core first order concepts that we feel are essential to the development of knowledge and understanding. Features which underpin the learning of history are building knowledge; pursuing historical enquiries; engaging with evidence and interpretations and communicating in rigorous and creative ways. Over the course of their studies students will develop a strong sense of period and construct robust chronological frameworks. We want students to explain and analyse historical events and periods studied using second-order historical concepts; they will have the opportunity to focus on the changes and continuities in human affairs over periods of time.
How is it implemented?
Year 7
“Was the Norman Conquest really so significant?”
"Who was to blame for the death of Thomas Becket?"
"Was King John really a bad king?"
"Did rats and rebels change people's lives completely?"
Summing up the Middle Ages
"Why was there so much religious change under the Tudors?"
"How far was Elizabethan England a "Golden Age"?"
"Why did the English kill their king?"
"Why was there a witchcraze in the seventeenth century?"
"Why was there no meeting of minds in the New World?"
Year 8
“What can Oloudah Equiano tell us about the slave trade?”
"Did the Industrial Revolution bring progress and improvement?"
"Why did some women use violence to win the vote, 1901-14?"
Arguing the causes of the First World War
WWI Trenches
"Did Britain win the Second World War?"
The Holocaust
"Why did Emmett Till die?"
"How do you fight a "cold war"?"
"What caused the 9/11 attacks?"
Examination Information
The Edexcel course is assessed by three external examinations in May/June of Year 11 – you will then be awarded on the numerical attainment system 9 – 1
Paper 1 - 30%
Medicine in Britain, c1250-present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914-18: injuries, treatment and the trenches
Paper 2 - 40%
The American West, c1835-c1895
and
Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88
Paper 3 - 30%
The USA, 1954-75: conflict at home and abroad
Further details of the full specification and topic breakdowns can be found at History | Pearson qualifications
How can someone improve in your subject?
GCSE History - Edexcel - BBC Bitesize
How can students find out more?
Historical Association – the UK national charity for history