History


Course Outline:

The course covers four distinct historical periods and aims to develop a wide range of historical study skills:

  • A thematic study on the Changes in Health and Medicine in Britain, c500 to the present day

This looks at the changing causes and treatments for illness through time. It looks at significant developments such as anaesthetic and the use of penicillin, as well as studying key individuals such as John Snow and Florence Nightingale, and their role in helping to improve medicine and health. The exam focuses on exploring how much change and development there has been in this time period.

  • A non-British study about Germany in Transition, 1919 – 1939

This looks at how Germany was ruled after the First World War, how and why the Nazis took power and how popular they were. The exam includes a focus on how these events have been interpreted in different ways.

  • A depth study about The Elizabethan Age, 1558-1603

This looks at England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, including the problems of religion, threats to her life from Catholics, and entertainment, including the impact of Shakespeare. The exam will focus on explaining and evaluating Elizabethan England.

  • A period study about The Development of the USA 1929 – 2000

This topic has three key areas. The first focuses on the experience of black Americans and their fight for civil rights, including Martin Luther King. The second area focuses on changes in society and popular culture, including the changing role of women, youth, and the influence of music, TV and technology. The final area investigates key political actions, and how Presidents have shaped America, including their foreign policy such as Vietnam and the Cold War.


In Year 10, students will start with a focus on health and medicine. This will link into their studies from KS3, and build on knowledge of medieval England, and changes during the Industrial Revolution. The focus will be on developing the skills required to learn core content, as well as an introduction to the exam skills tested in this unit, such as evaluating change. The intended time frame for this unit is 3 half terms, and will be assessed in school at the end of the unit. The second topic studied for the final 3 half terms of Year 10 will be Germany. The exam skills will focus on sources and interpretations, as well as an ongoing focus on factual retention. Both of these units will be assessed in mock exams at the end of the year.


In Year 11, students will begin with a focus on Elizabeth Tudor, developing exam skills in interpretations and source skills. These skills are a progression from those developed in the Year 10 Germany unit, and regular retrieval will ensure the Year 10 content is not forgotten. The final unit of study will be the USA, with a focus on factual recall and exam questions which are more related to the idea of change and continuity. Both of these units will be taught while continuing recall of their Year 10 topics. There will be an opportunity to complete full mock exams in the Spring term before the final Summer assessments.

Key attributes required to enjoy and/or succeed on this course:

Choose history if you:

  • Want to develop a range of key transferable skills that employers in a range of occupations will value

  • Have a genuine interest in history, and the topics we are studying

  • Desire to ask questions

  • Have a curiosity about the world around you

  • Have an interest in what motivates people

  • Enjoy researching and finding out about things

  • Are confident with reading and retrieving key information

  • Are confident with writing at length

  • Have the ability to argue and respond to other points of view

  • Have the ability to organise your thoughts

Qualification Gained: GCSE

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