A level
Our 6th Form Open Evening took place on 9 November 2022.
In previous years, when we ran our Open Evening as a virtual event, we produced video guides to each subject. These remain relevant and are available as a collected playlist on our YouTube Channel.
The introductory video to life in the 6th Form at Borlase, and a virtual tour of the school are also available to watch.
A level Specification and Curriculum Overview
Course entry requirements
Grade 7 at History GCSE
Introduction
The study of History at A level is challenging, exciting and rewarding. The course offered by the History and Politics department has two key aims: to give both a broader and deeper understanding of key aspects of global history; and to develop skills of critical analysis, evaluation and argument that are highly regarded by universities and employers alike.
The Course (AQA)
The department has put together a new course that builds on the skills and knowledge gained at GCSE, whilst engaging and stretching from the first lesson.
The British history element of the course is fulfilled by a study of The Tudors: England, 1485-1603. Through an examination of the reigns of the Tudor monarchs, this option allows students to study in breadth issues of change, continuity, cause and consequence in this period through the following key questions:
How effectively did the Tudors restore and develop the powers of the monarchy?
In what ways and how effectively was England governed during this period?
How did relations with foreign powers change and how was the succession secured?
How did English society and economy change and with what effects?
How far did intellectual and religious ideas change and develop and with what effects?
How important was the role of key individuals and groups and how were they affected by developments?
A contrasting study in depth looks at issues Revolution and dictatorship: Russia, 1917-1953. Through the examination of this unit, students will gain an understanding of the key causes and outcomes of the revolutionary and momentous events of 1917, prior to an in-depth study of concepts such as Marxism, communism, Leninism, and Stalinism, ideological control and dictatorship. It also enables students to consider issues of political authority, the power of individuals and the inter-relationship of governmental and economic and social change.
These two units will be taught in parallel from the start of Year 12.
Across the full A level course students also complete a piece of coursework on Race Relations in the USA, 1863-1980. This takes the form of an extended essay examining a question agreed between student and tutor. It is a fantastic opportunity to undertake independent study into a fascinating period of history.
The Study of History
The course as a whole demands that students read widely and learn to distinguish between and evaluate differing historical interpretations. This remains an unashamedly intellectual subject, and we encourage our students to actively engage with the historiography of the three components of the course. The skills that are developed through the study of History at A Level are highly valued. The subject combines well with the study of Government and Politics, Geography, English Literature and Modern Foreign Languages. However, many scientists find that History’s analytical nature adds valued breadth to their studies.
The History department organises regular visits to museums and exhibitions of interest, with an exciting A level study day at Hampton Court arranged for June 2024 (The Tudors). Successful residential study visits have been run to Washington DC and New York every October since 2012.
University and Careers
History is an extremely popular subject in the sixth form and many of our students decide to continue their study of the subject at university. In fact, no less than 18/37 of the cohort of 2021-23 decided to pursue History at university level. The department also has an excellent track record of helping students to achieve top grades and to achieve places at leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, with four set to begin studying History at Cambridge this academic year.
As for careers, the study of History not only enables one to make better sense of the world in which we live but the skills it fosters are applicable in a wide range of professions: historians are to be found in the top levels of politics, business, media and entertainment.
(Sep 2023)