History
Subject Introduction
The purpose of the history curriculum is to help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. We want to inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past and learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, assess arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. Studying history will help students to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
Entitlement
All pupils will study a broad range of content from the past 1000 years; they will access a range of evidence and historical scholarship through their enquiries. The same curriculum us studied by all classes regardless of ability. This is achieved by staff making the curriculum accessible to all through their planning and teaching.
Coherence
Our curriculum is chronologically sequenced with a focus on period, place, and people, which deliberately builds on and develops conceptual and disciplinary knowledge.
Mastery
We want our pupils to be able to link new knowledge to previously taught content and understand the different ways they connect.
Representation
All pupils will encounter a curriculum in which they can see themselves whilst offering a range of diverse experiences that provide the opportunity to broaden their knowledge.
Through the curriculum, pupils are given many opportunities to debate historical controversy and to share and reflect on a range of topics. Within their school and local communities, there are moments for students to extend their learning beyond the classroom, such as remembrance and commemoration of significant events.
Key Stage 3
Curriculum Intent
Our curriculum is chronologically sequenced as we believe it makes the curriculum more accessible. Year 7 begins with developing the skills needed for a historian.
We also use this as an opportunity to identify the areas of history students have studied at KS2 and we regularly revisit our curriculum to allow students to build on this prior learning without just repeating it.
The majority is Year 7 grounded in the medieval period, focusing on England and beyond with the Crusades before moving to the Tudor period. This is developed in Year 8, starting with the Stuart England, before moving on to the Industrial period including a local study. It ends by looking at topic of Black peoples of America, which is linked to the Industrial Revolution via the cotton industry. Year 9 then focuses on the 20th century, or the modern period. Within each period there are opportunities to explore a variety of places, locally, nationally, and globally, whilst hearing from a range of diverse voices that consider different experiences.
Each History lesson is based around an enquiry, with cause and consequence; change and continuity; significance, similarity, and difference; and historical interpretation also addressed throughout the curriculum.
Key Stage 4
Curriculum Intent
At Key Stage 4 pupils are on pathway to develop their disciplinary knowledge and deepen their substantive knowledge across Four key units of an exam specification. Throughout this course students build on the skills and some of the content studied at KS3. The intention of this curriculum is to provide a rounded curriculum where students can deepen their understanding of the world we live in, which is accessible for all students. GCSE History is a writing-based subject, requiring skills of analysis, evaluation, and interpretation. Again, these are skills that are developed at KS3 and again at KS5. Students will learn through rigorous practising of exam questions and source/interpretation analysis skills.
For Unit 1 students study the History of medicine from 1250 to present day, with a depth study on medicine in the trenches of World War One (AO1 / 2 / 3) Unit 2 is made up of 2 elements, Anglo-Saxon and Norman England 1050-85 and the American West 1840-1890 (AO1 / 2) The final Unit is on German 1918-1939 where the focus of marks is on the use of sources and interpretations. (AO1 /2 / 3 / 4) The selection of the units aims to enable students to build on their KS3 knowledge (such as concept of power of the monarch studied in Year 7 and 8 can be applied to the Anglo-Saxon and Norman unit. Issues of immigration and race is studied at KS3 through the Industrial Revolution unit and the American West and Germany units at KS4) It is believed that by doing this it will make the curriculum accessible for all and help build global citizens.
Key Stage 5
Curriculum Intent
At KS5 students again will build on their prior learning, but more crucially will continue to build and develop key historical skills.
The AO’s students’ study for at KS4 are developed at KS5 across all units. Students study 3 examined units and a coursework unit. The examined units include Britain 1918 - 1990 which references topics studied by students in the modern world aspect of KS3 and 4. This unit provides frequent opportunities for students to get a better understanding of global issues facing the world today and challenge perceptions of issues often in the media. For example, students at KS3 / 4 look at different aspects of world immigration, at KS5 this is studied through mass migration in Britain after World War Two.
By studying these students have a better understanding of the issue of race and immigration and are more informed citizens for an issue that is increasingly significant worldwide. In Unit 2 students study American 1918-55, again drawing on some KS4 experience around the Wall Street Crash and its impact. Again, the issue of immigration is visited this time from an American experience, linking to their studies in Year 8. The final unit students’ study is the worldwide witch crazes. This again draws on their KS3 and KS4 curriculum linking back to their study of the power of religion at KS3 and role of women in medicine at KS4.
The coursework unit build on all the history skills students have developed across KS3/4 and 5 and nature of this unit allows students of all abilities to achieve success with clear and precise guidance and support. This unit also plays a key role in preparing students for life post 18, for example in the construction of dissertations.