In This Section

• > Communications
• > Science and Engineering
• > Creative and Expressive Arts
• > Mathematics and Computing
• > Social Sciences
• > Learner Support
• > Chaplaincy

History

Course Title: History

Examination Board: OCR

Entry Requirements (if appropriate): None, but there is a heavy emphasis on independent research.  Also a requirement to produce extended pieces of writing.

Contact: Miss Dixon

Course Aims:

To help pupils gain a wider understanding of events from the past and the effects they had on society then and the impact we feel today.

Course Description:

Pupils will study “British society from 1906-1918” The world between the wars and “Germany from 1919-1945”

There are two final papers and two pieces of coursework: “The USA – Boom, bust and recovery”; “The USA—Prohibition”.

How will I learn:

The lessons will have interesting content which will make use of thinking skills activities as well as ICT and relevant video material.

A residential field trip will be on offer in year 10.

Possible Career Pathways: An understanding of History is useful for: armed forces, police force, the law, social work, journalism, local government, the Civil Service, marketing.

Subject summary: Year 7 History Programme of Study

The theme of Year 7 History is ‘Life in Medieval Times’. Your child will study the following topics: How medieval monarchs kept control; Life in town and country; Elizabeth I; and Islamic states 600-1600.  The aim of these topics is to enable your child to develop a sound knowledge of both English history and the wider world during the medieval period.  By investigating  past events they will be able to understand  issues of social conflict such as class inequality as well as religious conflict and co-operation. At the end of Y7 your child should be better informed, able to make reasoned judgments and debate their point of view, whilst appreciating that the opinion of others is equally valid.  They will develop some valuable transferable skills: information source analysis, classification, research, essay-writing, argument construction, group-work, debate and discussion skills.

Subject summary: Year 8 History Programme of Study

The Theme of Year 8 History is the Early Modern World. This year your child will cover the following topics: The English Civil War, The French Revolution and The British Empire. They will also complete two coursework assignments: Portraits and Coal Mining.

The aim of these topics is to enable your child to develop a sound knowledge of the past events that have had a significant impact upon present political systems and modern society.  At the end of Y8 your child should be well informed, able to make reasoned judgments, debate their point of view and be able to draw parallels between past events.  They will develop some very valuable transferable skills: information source analysis, classification, research, essay writing, argument construction, group-work, debate and discussion skills.

Subject summary: Year 9 History Programme of Study

In History your child will cover the following topics: Black slavery in the Americas, Twentieth Century Conflicts, The Holocaust and Medicine through the Ages. The aim of these topics is to enable your child to develop a sound knowledge of the world today.  By investigating recent past events they will be able to understand major issues of global conflict such as Genocide, Slavery and Total War. At the end of Y9 your child should be well informed, able to make reasoned judgments and debate her point of view, whilst appreciating that the opinion of others is equally valid.  They will develop some very valuable transferable skills: information source analysis, classification, research, essay writing, argument construction, group-work, debate and discussion skills.

Subject summary: GCSE History Programme of Study

At GCSE, History students follow the OCR syllabus ‘Modern World History’. For Paper One they study international relations from 1919-1939 and Germany from 1918-1945. For Paper Two, students focus on developing their source-analysis skills in their study of British Society from 1906-1918. Coursework makes up 25% of their overall grade. Students will complete two pieces of coursework on the topic of the USA during the 1920s and 1930s. Their first piece will be an extended essay on Roosevelt’s New Deal and the second piece will be a source-based assessment on Prohibition. During the two years in which students study History at GCSE level they will be expected to significantly improve their skills of essay-writing and source-interpretation. They will become independent thinkers who can explain their ideas in a structured and informative way.