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History
"Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential" Winston Churchill
Team History work together to unlock the potential in all students, fostering curiosity, confidence, and enquiring minds.
‘A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Pupils will be encouraged to ask perceptive questions, think critically and weigh evidence; whilst developing arguments, perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.’ Adapted from National Curriculum, DfE, 2014.
At Key Stage 3, students deepen and extend their chronologically secure understanding of the past through a rich and ambitious history curriculum. Carefully sequenced to build on prior learning, our curriculum helps students make meaningful connections across different periods, places and themes.
Students develop confidence in using historical terminology and concepts with increasing sophistication, equipping them with powerful skills that support success in history and beyond. Throughout Key Stage 3, they learn to engage critically with a wide range of historical sources, using evidence rigorously to construct historical claims and to explore how and why contrasting interpretations of the past are formed.
Students who choose to continue their historical journey into Key Stage 4 build on the strong foundations laid at Key Stage 3. Through a diverse range of period, depth and breadth studies, they further develop their understanding of key concepts and disciplinary skills, fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and a lasting love of history.
Key Stage 3 Curriculum
| Year | Unit 1 | Unit 2 | Unit 3 | Unit 4 | Unit 5 |
|
7 – Exploring the medieval world |
Eastern and Western Empires c1000. | Norman Conquest | Medieval Religion | Challenges to Medieval Monarchs | Medieval Mali |
|
8 – Discovering new ideas of the renaissance and industrial periods |
English Civil War | Changing idea and the Enlightenment | The transatlantic slave trade | The British Empire | Industrialisation |
|
9 – Understanding 20th Century Conflict |
Causes and Events of WWI | Democracy and the Suffragette Movement | Conflict in the 20th Century | Holocaust |
Civil Rights movement |
Students will receive regular extended writing and exam skill practice and will be assessed through end of unit tests.
Key Stage 4 Curriculum
(Edexcel History GCSE)
| Year | Topic One | Topic Two |
| 10 |
Early Elizabethan England – A British depth study exploring the first thirty years of Elizabeth’s reign, including challenges overcome and life in Elizabethan England. (Combined paper with American West written examination 1 hour and 50 - 40%). |
Medicine in Britain – A thematic study of Medicine in Britain, c.1250-present focusing on change and continuity, spanning almost 1,000 years. (Written examination 1 hour and 20 minutes -30%) |
| 11 |
Weimar and Nazi Germany – A modern depth study analysing sources and interpretations of the interwar years in Germany. 1919-1939 (Written examination 1 hour and 30 minutes - 30%) |
American West – A period study covering the westward expansion of the USA and the destruction of the way of life for Indigenous peoples. (Combined paper with Elizabethan England - written examination 1 hour and 50 - 40%). |
In addition to the end of course exams and PPEs, students will be also assessed through end of unit tests and regular extended writing and exam skill practice.