KS3 History
The National Curriculum for History in Key Stage 3.
Pupils should be taught about:
Medieval Britain (1066-1509)
the development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain 1066-1509
This could include:
the Norman Conquest
Christendom, the importance of religion and the Crusades
the struggle between Church and crown
Magna Carta and the emergence of Parliament
the English campaigns to conquer Wales and Scotland up to 1314
society, economy and culture: for example, feudalism, religion in daily life (parishes, monasteries, abbeys), farming, trade and towns (especially the wool trade), art, architecture and literature
the Black Death and its social and economic impact
the Peasants’ Revolt
the Hundred Years War
the Wars of the Roses; Henry VII and attempts to restore stability
Tudor, Stuart & Georgian Britain (1509-1745)
the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509-1745
This could include:
Renaissance and Reformation in Europe
the English Reformation and Counter-Reformation (Henry VIII to Mary I)
the Elizabethan religious settlement and conflict with Catholics (including Scotland, Spain and Ireland)
the first colony in America and first contact with India
the causes and events of the civil wars throughout Britain
the Interregnum (including Cromwell in Ireland)
the Restoration, ‘Glorious Revolution’ and power of Parliament
the Act of Union of 1707, the Hanoverian succession and the Jacobite rebellions of 1715 and 1745
society, economy and culture across the period: for example, work and leisure in town and country, religion and superstition in daily life, theatre, art, music and literature
Georgian & Victorian Britain (1745-1901)
ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901
This could include:
the Enlightenment in Europe and Britain, with links back to 17th-century thinkers and scientists and the founding of the Royal Society
Britain’s transatlantic slave trade: its effects and its eventual abolition
the Seven Years War and The American War of Independence
the French Revolutionary wars
Britain as the first industrial nation – the impact on society
party politics, extension of the franchise and social reform
the development of the British Empire with a depth study (for example, of India)
Ireland and Home Rule
Darwin’s ‘On The Origin of Species’
Modern Britain (1901-)
challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day
In addition to studying the Holocaust, this could include:
women’s suffrage
the First World War and the Peace Settlement
the inter-war years: the Great Depression and the rise of dictators
the Second World War and the wartime leadership of Winston Churchill
the creation of the welfare state
Indian independence and end of Empire
social, cultural and technological change in post-war British society
Britain’s place in the world since 1945
Local History
a local history study, e.g.
a depth study linked to one of the British areas of study listed above
a study over time, testing how far sites in their locality reflect aspects of national history (some sites may predate 1066)
a study of an aspect or site in local history dating from a period before 1066
Extended Study
the study of an aspect or theme in British history that consolidates and extends pupils’ chronological knowledge from before 1066
e.g.
the changing nature of political power in Britain, traced through selective case studies from the Iron Age to the present
Britain’s changing landscape from the Iron Age to the present
a study of an aspect of social history, such as the impact through time of the migration of people to, from and within the British Isles
a study in depth into a significant turning point, for example, the Neolithic Revolution
World History
at least one study of a significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments
for example, Mughal India 1526-1857; China’s Qing dynasty 1644-1911; Changing Russian empires c.1800-1989; USA in the 20th century