History
Mrs P Simpson- Head of History
Mr M Ramsbottom - Vice Principal
Mr C Ryan
To the history teachers, history is an exciting and intriguing subject and it is this feeling of curiosity and excitement that we aim to develop in our students during their studies. We have selected a series of topics for each year group which we feel provides the
opportunity to encourage the development of historical skills that are valued in the workplace and to teach the students how to discover things for themselves as a basis for lifelong learning. The syllabus for each year is detailed below:
Year 7
Autumn Term
The first half term is an introduction to the skills used in history such as source analysis, developing and testing ideas and producing interpretations. This part of the course is based on the SHP What is History? textbook.
The second half of the term develops these skills through practical application to the topic of the Roman Empire.
Spring Term/Summer Term
The study moves through time from the fall of the Roman Empire to a focus on English medieval history beginning with the Norman Conquest and control of England. There is a focus on the lives of ordinary people during this period culminating in the coming of the Black Death and the resulting Peasants’ Revolt. The later part of the summer term will include a brief study of the Crusades.
Year 8
Autumn Term
The course of study will begin with the Tudor period and an introduction to early modern history. The topics will include how the Tudor dynasty came to rule England; the life and times of Henry VIII and whether he was a good King for England and will look at some of the major themes of Elizabeth’s reign, such as the development of royal propaganda and why she never married, as well as significant events such as the coming of the Armada.
Spring Term
The Stuart period is studied in the spring term, in particular, how the relationship between crown and parliament changed in this period. The Civil War and protectorate of Oliver Cromwell is followed by a brief look at the social history through the restoration of Charles II. The term will end with an investigation of the return of the Black Death in 1665 and the major disaster of the Great Fire of London.
Summer Term
The theme of study for the summer term is the development from the early modern period into modern times through an investigation of the agricultural and industrial revolutions and the impact these had on life in Britain, including the development of towns and cities, changes to people’s working lives and the beginnings of modern transport systems.
Year 9
The course of study for year 9 has been newly developed for this year and will use a series of topics to develop students’ skills towards GCSE standard.
Autumn Term
World War I and World War II are studied in the autumn term as they follow naturally from the year 8 syllabus. The investigation into World War I focuses on the huge impact of the first industrial war, while World War II emphasises the effects upon the civilian population of world war and includes a case study of the Holocaust.
Spring Term
The first half term topic is new for this year and has a theme of crime and punishment over time. A particular case study will be ‘Jack the Ripper’. The emphasis for the students will be in developing their research and writing skills to GCSE level as well as investigating and creating presentations about change over time.
The theme of the second half of the spring term is how history is depicted today particularly in film. The topic selected is the era of the Napoleonic Wars. The student activities will include script writing, modelling sets and investigating social settings such as those depicted by Jane Austen as well as the military aspects of the period through depictions of the navy and army of the time.
Summer Term
The summer term is also divided into two halves and will cover dance through history which will require them to participate in dance workshops as well as an in-depth study of the history of Hertfordshire through historical records, the census returns and museum displays, as well as local history books.
Year 10/11
The students follow the OCR Modern History B full course in years 10 and 11. The GCSE is divided as follows:
Year 10
The core topics for paper I which are the Treaty of Versailles, The League of Nations and the causes of World War II as well as the depth study: The USA 1919-1941.
Year 11
Autumn Term will be the coursework term beginning with the taught element until the half term break after which the students will produce a 2,000 word piece of writing on the chosen question. The spring and summer terms will then be used to study paper 2, a depth study of Britain 1890 to 1918. There are three specific sections from which one is selected by the examinations board to be tested each year. The areas for examination are: The struggle for female suffrage; The Liberal government reforms; The home front in World War I.
Year 12/13
The students will take the Edexcel AS/A2 examinations in the following aspect of history.
AS: Paper 1 – essay paper
The European Witch Craze c.1580 – c1650 Crown, Conflict and Revolution in England, 1660 – 1689
Paper 2 – source skills paper
The Experience of Warfare in Britain: Crimea, Boer and the First World War, 1854 – 1929
A2 Examination
France 1786 – 1830: Revolution, Empire and Restoration
Coursework
British Foreign Policy: Defending Great Power Status,1814 – 1914