Our Curriculum Vision
- Create critically thinking students
- Create independent students
- Enable students to understand the present by contextualising it with the past
Through the study of History we aim to:
- Develop their substantive knowledge about people, events and places in the past
- Develop their understanding of substantive concepts, i.e. revolution
- Develop their understanding of second order concepts in History; change & continuity, causation, significance, interpretations, evidence, similarity and difference
- To learn through enquiry; as this will enable students to conceptualise the past to a much higher level
- Through these develop the ability of students to critically assess arguments and create their own versions of these
Progression within the History curriculum:
The History curriculum must enable our students to be ready to achieve as History students at university after seven years. Each year is integral in order to build the skills and knowledge necessary to undertake such high level learning. This originates at Year 7 but must be worked backwards from the point of university in order to ensure students develop all the attributes necessary to achieve. Our curriculum therefore links throughout it so that students can build upon earlier skills, knowledge and analysis at later years.
Please CLICK below to discover more about our curriculum:
Key Stage 4 Curriculum and Assessment:
For Key Stage 4 the AQA specification is taught. There are two units with two subject each in them.
Unit 1: Understanding the modern world (50%)
- America, 1920-1973: Opportunity and inequality
- Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945-1972
Unit 2: Shaping the nation (50%)
- Britain: Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day
- Elizabethan England c1568-1603
Pupils are assessed with knowledge tests; source-based and extended writing assessments throughout each unit to develop their exam skills and receive detailed feedback on how to improve. In Year 10 pupils sit an End of Year Examination in the summer term, which assesses their learning and progress in History throughout the year based on GCSE style examinations. In Year 11 students sit Pre-Public Examinations in preparation for their final GCSE examinations.
Home learning activities are set once a week and include a range of activities from independent research enquiries to practice exam-style questions.
Key Stage 5 Curriculum and Assessment:
For Key Stage 5 AQA specification is taught – this provides excellent links to Key Stage 4.
- Stuart Britain and the Crisis of Monarchy, 1603-1702 (50% of the AS – *40% of the final A Level)
- Democracy and Nazism, 1918-1945 (50% of the AS – *40% of the final A Level)
- Civil Rights in the USA from 1865-1965 (20% of the final A Level)
Pupils are assessed primarily through essay questions throughout each paper in order to develop their exam skills. They also receive detailed feedback on how to improve. In Year 10 pupils sit an End of Year Examination in the summer term, which assesses their learning and progress in History throughout the year based on GCSE style examinations. In Year 11 students sit Pre-Public Examinations in preparation for their final GCSE examinations.
Home learning activities are set each lesson and revolve around embedding learning, preparing for future lessons, and extensive study of content
Enrichment Opportunities:
The History Department offers an extensive Enrichment programme. This includes the following:
- Key Stage 5 Trip to Berlin or Washington
- Key Stage 4 Speakers and Workshops
- Key Stage 3 Enrichment Day Trips
Additional Information:
There is a range of excellent websites, films, documentaries, books and Podcasts, which support and extend pupils’ understanding of the topics they study. Please speak directly with your child’s History teacher for recommendations.
We recommend the following websites for general support, particularly with home learning activities: