History
Key Stage 3
The curriculum in years 7-9 gives students a secure grounding in the study of history, as well as a broad understanding of key events and developments in British, European and world history, from 1066 to the present day. In the department, we are particularly proud of the range of educational visits we offer, from a day trip to Skipton Castle to a residential visit to Normandy. Innovative and exciting lessons allow students to develop and apply core historical concepts, such as change and continuity, causation and significance, and use primary and secondary evidence as a means of acquiring and refining the skills needed for success in the discipline
Key Stage 4
Why study history?
History is a deeply fascinating subject, and is also a facilitating subject that is highly regarded by universities and employers because students develop skills that can transfer to many contexts, from law to medicine.
What will it be like?
Our GCSE course covers a broad chronology, explores a range of historical contexts and incorporates various approaches to the study of the past. Over the two year course, students will study:
- Democracy and dictatorship: Germany, 1894-1945
- International conflict and tension, 1918-1939
- Norman England, 1066-1100
- Power and the people in Britain, 1170-the present day
Assessment
Students are entered for GCSE with the AQA exam board.
You will sit two exams of 1 hour 45 minute duration. Each paper contributes 50% to your final GCSE grade.
Key Stage 5
Our popular and successful A-level course enables students to develop the skills of practising historians, in preparation for making the transition to study the subject at university. The challenging and varied Edexcel course covers the revolutionary contexts of 17th-century Britain and early 20th-century Russia, before going on to explore civil rights and race relations in the United States, from the Civil War until the election of Barack Obama. Through varied and engaging lessons, students are able to refine skills of close reading, critical evaluation, independent thought and reasoned academic argument that transfer to a range of degrees and employment opportunities. We are proud of all our historians, who in recent years have gone on to study everything from history and law to medicine and economics. More information about History at A-level can be found in the sixth form prospectus.