History
Why study History?
Understanding past events and people and their significance gives students a better insight into the world around them. We believe in the importance of not just learning history but learning from history. The study of History equips pupils with the ability to critically analyse source material, assess the merits of different arguments, hone their debating skills, and recognise bias and propaganda.
How will I study History?
Pupils study History through big enquiry questions. Each enquiry covers a sequence of lessons. At the end of that sequence of lessons pupils are equipped to formulate their own answer to the enquiry. These are genuine historical debates amongst academic historians. Pupils learn historical concepts that are revisited regularly in different periods of time, locations and people allowing pupils to gain a deeper understanding. Alongside this, pupils learn to be historians developing their disciplinary knowledge understanding methods of historical enquiry, how evidence is used to make historical claims and understand why there are different interpretations of the past.
What will I study at Key Stage 3?
In Year 7, pupils explore historical enquiries that span the Roman to Tudor period. This includes:
- Historical enquiries that explore how the Romans established rule in England after failing twice.
- If the Normans brought trouble to Britain.
- The significance of the Magna Carta.
- If 1348 really was the end of the world.
- Was there a Mid Tudor Crisis or was it a period of trauma and survival?
In Year 8, pupils move through the study of Mughal India and end at Britain’s industrial revolution. Pupils explore enquiries that cover:
- Who was the greatest Mughal of them all?
- How modern was Britain by 1789?
- Were the ‘Divine Right of Kings’ – the will of the people or the will of God?
- How did the British lead the French into revolution?
- Did the abolition of slavery end slavery?
- Why is the British Empire on trial?Was there an Indian mutiny or a war of independence?
- Which better describes the Industrial Revolution: Dark satanic mills’ or ‘progress and improvement?’
In Year 9, pupils move into the twentieth century to present day. Historical enquiries explore:
- Was the First World War worth winning?
- How far did new ideas cause conflict?
- Why were the Nazis able to implement the Final Solution?
What will I study at Key Stage 4?
At Key Stage 4, pupils take a Modern depth study on Germany 1890-1945. Pupils study Weimar and Nazi Germany. This covers the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s rise to power, Nazi control and dictatorship, life in Nazi Germany.
As a thematic study, pupils study Migration, empires, and the people c790 to the present day. This explores ideas about:
- Conquest and settlement.
- The birth of British identity, British colonisation, and expansion.
- Migration to and from Britain.
- The role and events in the development of empire and British identity.
As a British depth study, pupils explore early Elizabethan England. They focus on the Queen, government and religion, challenges to Elizabeth I at home and abroad, and Elizabethan society and the age of exploration. They will also explore a specific Elizabethan site in depth focusing on its historical context and examining the relationship between a specific place and associated historical events and developments.
In addition, pupils undertake a period study focusing on superpower relations and the Cold War. This covers the origins of the Cold War crises, attempts to reduce tension between the East and West and the collapse of Soviet control of Eastern Europe.
What will I study at Key Stage 5?
During Key Stage 5, we study The Tudors 1485-1603 as well as Democracy and Nazism in Germany 1918-1945. Through the study of The Tudors, students are able to chart the development of England under the Tudor dynasty through the lens of society, religion, foreign affairs and domestic policy. We will make comparisons between the different monarchs and ask questions about power and how it is exercised as well as how control works in government. As a breadth study, The Tudors allows students to understand the history of over 100 years in a thematic approach.
In the study of Germany from 1918-45, students will undertake a depth study into the decline of the Weimar government and the ultimate decline of democracy and the causes of this. They will then study the rise of the fascist Nazi Party and how this occurred as well as the role of Germany in WW2 and its impact on the wider world.
Assessment at Key Stage 4
History AQA 8145
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Written exam (2 hours) 84 marks 50% of GCSE |
Section A: Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorship Section B: Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945–1972 |
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Written exam (2 hours) 84 marks 50% of GCSE |
Section A: Elizabethan England c1568-1603 Section B: Migration, empires and the people c790 to the present day |
Assessment at Key Stage 5
History AQA 7041 – Year 12
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Paper 1C The Tudors: England, 1485-1603 Written exam (1.5 hours) 50 marks 50% of AS Level |
Section A: Compulsory question based on historical interpretations Section B: A choice of one out of two 25 mark essay questions |
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Paper 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-1945 Written exam (1.5 hours) 50 marks 50% of AS Level |
Section A: Compulsory question based on historical interpretations Section B: A choice of one out of two 25 mark essay questions |
History AQA 7042 – Year 13
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Paper 1C The Tudors: England, 1485-1603 Written exam (2.5 hours) 80 marks 40% of AS Level |
Section A: Compulsory question based on historical interpretations Section B: A choice of two out of three 25 mark essay questions |
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Paper 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany 1918-1945 Written exam (2.5 hours) 80 marks 40% of AS Level |
Section A: Compulsory question based on historical interpretations Section B: A choice of two out of three 25 mark essay questions |
| Overview | Focus |
|---|---|
| Non exam assessed component 40 marks 20% of A Level |
Based on a topic of the student’s choice on a period of history spanning 100 years. |
Enrichment
The department offers a range of educational visits throughout the year such as a visit to Quarry bank mill, The Liverpool Slavery Museum, The Imperial War Museum and an Elizabethan historical site. In lessons, History is brought to life through re-enactments, the exploration of artefacts, original film footage and model making. Pupils can take part in school-wide competitions to increase their engagement and enhance their subject knowledge. The department also puts on live History exhibitions brining to life stories of the past through the display of food, culture, architectures, clothing, and art. Intervention sessions to consolidate prior learning and ensure maximum progress are at the heart of our delivery model. In KS5, students have the opportunity to visit the Tower of London as well as other historic sites as deemed appropriate in the programme of study.
Careers
The study of History can lead to future careers ranging from Researcher, Museum Archivist and Journalist to Librarian, Business Consultant and Editor. Famous History graduates include Louis Theroux (documentary filmmaker, author), Jonathan Ross (TV presenter), Joe Biden (US President) and Gordon Brown (ex-British Prime Minister).