History

Pupils will begin their study of the medieval world by exploring the Silk Roads, travelling from China through the Islamic Empire, Constantinople and into Western Europe. They will then study the Norman Conquest of 1066, focusing on the reasons for William’s victory at the Battle of Hastings.

A subsequent unit on Norman control examines how William the Conqueror established and maintained authority over England, and how the country changed under Norman rule.

Pupils will then investigate the importance of religion in medieval England, considering the extent of the Church’s influence on all aspects of life. This includes places of worship, medieval beliefs about heaven and hell, and the treatment of Jewish communities.

Following this, pupils will explore the challenges faced by medieval monarchs in maintaining power, including dynastic conflicts within their own families, as well as opposition from the Church, the nobility and the peasantry.

Pupils will then study Medieval Mali, including the reign of Mansa Musa, often regarded as the wealthiest individual in history. Finally, they will prepare for their transition into Year 8 by examining key developments in science, religion and exploration during the Renaissance.

Pupils will begin by exploring the reasons why Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church in the 1530s. They will then examine how and why Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I each changed the course of religion in England. This leads into a study of key aspects of Elizabeth I’s reign, including the Religious Settlement, conflict with Spain, and life in Elizabethan England.

Pupils will then move on to investigate the political, economic and religious causes of the English Civil War in 1642. They will explore how the conflict ended, the execution of Charles I, and the changes introduced under Oliver Cromwell during the period when England became a republic, before concluding with the Restoration up to 1688.

The course then turns to British involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Using a range of sources, pupils will examine conditions aboard slave ships and on plantations in the Americas, as well as the role of abolitionists in ending the slave trade in 1807.

Following this, pupils will study the Industrial Revolution, focusing on rapid changes in population and manufacturing across Britain. They will use sources to investigate the living and working conditions of the urban poor. Finally, pupils will consider the British Empire and its global impact.

Pupils begin the year by studying the complex causes of the First World War, including long-term factors such as imperialism, the alliance system and militarism. These are explored alongside short-term triggers, including the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the subsequent Balkan Crisis. This leads into a study of trench warfare on the Western Front, focusing on the experiences of soldiers and the conditions they faced. Pupils will also consider the social impact of the war on families in Britain. The unit concludes with an investigation into the terms and consequences of the Treaty of Versailles (1919).

Pupils then move on to examine the fight for suffrage in Britain during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This includes studying the roles of the NUWSS and the WSPU, as well as the impact of the First World War on the campaign for women’s voting rights.

The course then explores the rise of extremist ideologies in interwar Europe, including communism and fascism, and how these contributed to the outbreak of the Second World War. Pupils will study key events of the war and how Britain and its allies worked to defeat Nazi Germany.

Pupils will also examine the Holocaust, learning about the persecution of Jewish communities in Nazi Germany and across Europe, and considering questions of responsibility for the Final Solution.

Finally, pupils are introduced to the Cold War, focusing on early tensions between East and West after the Second World War. This includes the arms race, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and efforts made to prevent nuclear conflict.

Pupils lucky enough to continue to study History at GCSE will follow the Edexcel specification.  GCSE History is a writing-based subject requiring skills of analysis, evaluation and interpretation. 

Course information: 

• Paper 1: Medicine in Britain, c1250-present and the British sector of the Western Front 1914 – 1918: injuries, treatment and the trenches.  (30% of total qualification)
  • Written exam: 1hr 20mins
• Paper 2: Superpower relations and the Cold War 1941 – 1991.  (20% of total qualification)
  Paper 2:  Early Elizabethan England 1558 – 1588.  (20% of total qualification)
  • Written exam: 1hr 50 mins
• Paper 3: Nazi and Weimar Republic 1918 – 1939.  (30% of qualification) 
  • Written exam: 1hr 30mins

GCSE History is assessed through four assessment objectives: 

• AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the periods studied (35%).
• AO2: Explain and analyse historical events and periods studied using secondorder1 historical concepts (35%).
• AO3: Analyse, evaluate and use sources (contemporary to the period) to make substantiated judgements, in the context of historical events studied (15%).
• AO4: Analyse, evaluate and make substantiated judgements about interpretations (including how and why interpretations may differ) in the context of historical events studied (15%). 

Pupils will complete regular written exam-style questions during the academic year where they will be given teacher feedback on how to improve. Year 10 pupils will sit a mid-year mock in January and end of year mock exams in the summer term.  Year 11 pupils will sit mock exams in November and in March.