Welcome to the History department

In History we ask questions, explore sources and evidence and arrive at an interpretation. We then use our best writing skills to sharpen our answers. This will lead to even more questions and a new enquiry gets underway…

The History department believes that the knowledge and understanding of historical events is crucial in our understanding of who we are today. Past events shape the way our world is today and the way people live their lives. History teaches you skills to question, challenge, justify and present arguments about different historical events. To develop as a historian students will focus on both the contextual knowledge as well as the relevant skills required to analyse the events of the past.

Teachers

Mr N Wiltshire - Head of History

Mr D Meldon 

How the Curriculum has been adapted following the Covid-19 Pandemic 

Gaps in skills and knowledge have been identified and we have adapted the structure of the course to ensure that key content is covered and revisited. We are also aware that many students missed the opportunity to develop vital investigative and enquiry skills during their Primary education, so have built an emphasis on this into our Year 7 curriculum. We know that some students have missed time in school working with others so there is additional time for collaborative work built into the curriculum. At all points throughout the course the relevance of History at local, national and global scales to each and every student at our school is highlighted.

Phase 2 (Years 7, 8 and 9)

Our Phase 2 course is based on a series of ‘Enquiries’ which run chronologically, starting in 1066 and at the end of Year 8, students look at the ‘Space Race’ of the 1960s.

Examples of these include:

• How much change did William the Conqueror really bring to England after 1066?
• What do maps tell us about Islam during the Middle Ages?
• How significant is the Tudor ship – The Mary Rose ?
• Why was a ship called the Isle Of Wight carrying slaves leaving Portsmouth in 1720?

How important was deception to the Allies on D-Day in 1944?

Topics – Year 7 

Topics – Year 8

Topics – Year 9 

How parents can support 

Phase 3 (Years 10 and 11) 

History GCSE – Edexcel 

History takes an exciting and in-depth look into four very different topics over the course of Years 10 and 11. The course is designed to encourage students to adopt an ‘enquiry’ approach, always gathering as much information as possible and using this as a springboard to asking even more questions. The study of Medicine from 1250 until today is the longest span of time covered. We track developments in areas such as genetics, surgery and epidemics like plague, looking out for breakthroughs in treatment and prevention and identifying why these happened at a particular point in time. 

The study of Britain, either side of the 1066 invasion of William the Conqueror, emphasises the impact of such a key event on Britain itself. Analysing what changes and what stays the same is also central to the study of The American West in the 1800s. The desire to cross American Plains for a new life is a story of survival and determination – but the clash with the Native Americans shows how cultures clash. 

We study life in Nazi Germany before World War Two but the topic starts on the day of the German surrender in 1918 at the end of the First World War and looks at how a defeated nation came to be led by Adolf Hitler. 

The History course enables students to explore a range of important issues at local, national and international levels whilst engaging with the past and present simultaneously. 

Assessment: Three exam papers; the longest is 1 hour 45 minutes 

Paper 1: British thematic study with the historic environment. Medicine in Britain 1250-present including an enquiry into treatment and surgery on the Western Front 1914-18 

Paper 2: British depth study : Anglo-Saxon and Norman England 1060- 1088.  Period Study: The American West, c.1835-1895.

Paper 3: Modern Depth Study. Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39.

Topics – Year 10 

Topics – Year 11

Support available 

How parents can support 

Career opportunities 

GCSE History leads directly on to A Level History. It works well in combination with other humanities subjects (Geography and R.S.), and English. Many students who enjoy history also study it at A Level to contrast with their main science or a language.

GCSE History helps improve literacy skills which are useful in any course which requires reading and writing. The medicine topic links well with Science courses. There are a wide variety of history and history-related courses at university.

Most people who study history to GCSE or higher level find it helps them to develop skills useful for a wide range of professional jobs such as journalism, publishing, civil service, law, police force, work in the media. Some people pursue careers which involve History directly, such as work in the Heritage industry e.g. National Trust, museum and archive work, archaeology and teaching.