History

Curriculum

At Key Stage 3 all year 7 and year 8 students study History as part of Total Curriculum. They cover topics of 1066 and medieval life, The English Civil War, Slavery, Changing Role of Women, Jack the Ripper, World War I and World War II. We aim to teach important skills of analysis, interpretation and communication as well as knowledge.

At Key Stage 4 students study for the project qualification. This is equivalent to half a GCSE. This is not an examined qualification but is marked by the history teacher and moderated by the exam board. Students have the opportunity to do projects on castles and on the Battlefields. As part of their course they will take a field trip to Dover Castle and also to the Battlefields in France. Finally they can choose a project of their own to complete on any history topic which interests them. In year 10 they take their GCSE History. They build on the skills they have learned and also do a developmental study during year 10 on Medicine & Health Through Time. They also undertake a controlled assessment on The Civil Rights Movement in America. During year 11 they will study Germany during 1918-1945 in depth. It is hoped that from 2011 they will have the option to take either the above GCSE or a vocational history GCSE. Here, the students become aware of the important role history plays in many vocational areas, especially the heritage industry, and develop the skills to participate in these areas. This will be done through the study of how the heritage industry works and/or taking part in tasks which develop these skills: asking questions, planning research, working in groups, sustaining an enquiry, ICT skills, reviewing progress and communicating results appropriately to different audiences and for different purposes.

At Key Stage 5 students can do an AS and A2 level History. During year 12 they study The Russian Revolution and the Irish Question. In year 13 they study The French Revolutional and complete coursework on Crime and Punishment in Britain.

This History Department have been awarded the Princes Teaching Institute Schools Programme Mark. This demonstrates that we have provided an engaging curriculum and projects that will result in better subject provision for our students.

Revision Guides

We have prepared various Revision Guides for you, which can be found below:

• Germany 1919-1945 (Word, PDF) - (Answers: PDF)
• Medicine (Word, PDF) - (Anwers: PDF)
• Transformation of Surgery 1945 (Word, PDF) - (Answers: PDF)

Community

The History Department are keen to develop links with the community and as a result have organised the following:

• An evening learning about how to trace your family history. This was open to staff and the community. This evening was organised with our library and an enjoyable evening was had by all who attended. In addition, An author, Andy Thomas spoke on various conspiracy theories to the general public and to staff at the school. We hope to continue to provide a variety of speakers and lecturers which will be open to students, staff and the community.
• The Department, in collaboration with English and the Library, invited 60 year six students to take part in a history mystery during July of 2010. They worked with some of our year seven students in trying to solve the mystery of Thomas Becket.