History
Our Curriculum Aims:
‘History is inescapable. It studies the past and the legacies of the past in the present. Far from being 'dead', it connects things through time and encourages its students to take a long view of such connections. All people and peoples are living histories, so understanding the linkages between past and present is fundamental for a good understanding of the condition of being human. That, in a nutshell, is why History matters. It is not just 'useful', it is essential for rooting people in time.
(Penelope Corfield, Historian & Educational Consultant)
If History is fundamental for the condition of being human, as Corfield states, then it is imperative that we at AGSB provide a History curriculum which is inclusive and reflects the diversity of Modern Britain and our school community. At the same time, History is at its most engaging, and students think most critically when there is a sense of story within which they can make complex connections. With that in mind, we aim within our programme of study:
- To provide a global curriculum which helps students understand Britain’s changing place in the world
- To provide an inclusive curriculum which integrates diverse histories into the story of Britain’s and the world’s past
- To provide a coherent overarching narrative across each key stage
We hope that, by achieving these aims, we will enhance students’ cultural capital and, therefore, their ability to make a full contribution to society as active citizens. History is, after all, also ‘useful’, as Corfield acknowledges. Whilst this should not detract from its inherent value, History undoubtedly has a crucial role to play in this respect. We therefore also aim:
- To guide students in developing the key transferable skills that enable them to successfully navigate, and thrive in, our complex twenty-first society: Foremost amongst these are:
- An ability to critically evaluate the credibility of any source and/or interpretation of the past
- An ability to reach clear, supported and coherent independent judgements
- An appreciation of the value of cooperation and common endeavor
- An ability to communicate clearly and confidently both verbally and in writing
- A curiosity to want to learn more, ask questions and challenge existing orthodoxies
- An ability to distance themselves from their own prejudices, appreciate different perspectives and see historical controversies in their own context
As Napoleon put it, ‘History is merely the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.’ Orthodoxies are there to be appropriately but critically and creatively questioned and challenged. We promote that mindset through our debating and public speaking competitions, through our domestic and overseas curriculum enrichment visits and most importantly through our core business in the classroom. If our students really appreciate Napoleon’s remark, and its implications, by the time they leave us, we will have gone some way to achieving our aims.
KS3 Course Followed: History
Year 7 – Britain and its place in the Medieval World, c1066-c1450: Migration, War & Identity
|
Name of topic |
Key Content of the Topic |
Assessment points |
HT 1 |
Pre-1066 Study - Impact of Migration to Britain before 1066 |
Intro to History & Migration topic |
Key Fact Test on Legacy of Migrant Groups |
HT 2 |
Norman Conquest |
3 claimants |
Battle of Hastings Essay
|
HT 3 |
Medieval Castles |
Motte & Bailey |
Medieval Castle Display Board |
HT 4 |
Medieval Religion |
Role & Importance of Religion & The Priest |
N/A |
HT 5 |
Islamic Golden Age & Crusades |
Harun Al-Rashid & Start of Golden Age |
End of Year Exam |
HT 6 |
Emergence of Early Modern Britain |
John & Magna Carta |
Hundred Years War Movie Trailer |
Year 8 - Britain and its place in the world c.1450-c.1850: Renaissance, Reformation & Revolution
|
Name of topic |
Key Content of the Topic |
Assessment points |
HT 1 |
European Renaissance & Voyages of Discovery |
Introduction: The World in 1450 & Overview of 1400-1850 |
Columbus: A Contested Legacy (Interpretation Question) |
HT 2 |
European Reformation & Tudor Britain |
Henry VII |
Break with Rome (Source Assessment)
|
HT 3 |
Elizabeth & The End of the Spanish Golden Age |
Spanish Golden Age |
Armada Essay
|
HT 4 |
Enlightenment & Revolution |
Witchcraft |
End of Year Exam |
HT 5 |
British Empire & Trade in Enslaved Africans |
Britain & its pursuit of Empire |
N/A |
HT 6 |
British Empire & Trade in Enslaved Africans |
Abolitionists |
Key Fact Test on Trade in Enslaved Africans |
Year 9 - Britain and its place in the Modern World, c.1850-c.2000: Fall of Empires & A New World Order
|
Name of topic |
Key Content of the Topic |
Assessment points |
HT 1 |
Local History: Industrial Manchester |
What was Industrial Revolution? Why Britain first? |
Industrial Manchester Source Analysis |
HT 2 |
Early Twentieth Century |
Intro: The World in 1900; Overview of C20: Democracy, Fascism & Communism |
Haig Interpretation Question |
HT 3 |
Rise of the Dictators & Outbreak of WW2 |
Impact of WW1: Versailles, Fall of Empires, Rise of Democracy, Spanish Flu & Race Riots in Liverpool |
Causes of WW2 Mini-Essay |
HT 4 |
WW2 & New World Order |
Why did Allies Win WW2 overview? (2) |
Churchill: A Contested Legacy (Interpretation Question) |
HT 5 |
A Divided World |
Truman, Containment & Marshall Plan |
End of Year Exam |
HT 6 |
The Late Twentieth Century |
Britain: Sick Man of Europe? (loss of empire; economic decline, EEC, |
N/A |
What can parents do to support their sons?
Please encourage your son to read around the subject as much as possible. We have an excellent Key Stage Three History library in C5 (usually Ms Cathcart’s room) which all students in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 are welcome to use. Please see Ms Cathcart for further details. Beyond that, useful historical websites include:
- https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/zk26n39 (History section of the BBC Bitesize website)
- https://spartacus-educational.com/industry.html (British History section of the Spartacus website)
- https://meanwhileelsewhereinhistory.wordpress.com/ (A site which helps expand students’ horizons beyond the taught curriculum)
- https://www.ourmigrationstory.org.uk/ (A site run by the Runnymede Trust which provides resources on migration to Britain and its impact since the Roman Period)
- https://www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/history/ (Online quizzes on a variety of Key Stage Three History topics)
Specialist websites can also be useful for more detailed research, for example:
- https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/1066-and-the-norman-conquest/what-happened-battle-hastings/ (Information on the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest on English Heritage’s website for Year 7)
- http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ism/slavery/ (History of the Trade in Enslaved Africans on the International Slavery Museum’s (Liverpool) website for Year 8)
- https://www.iwm.org.uk/learning/resources/first-world-war-recruitment-posters (WW1 recruitment posters on the Imperial War Museum’s website for Year 9)
You can also encourage your son to read historical fiction and non-fiction. He could try to keep an eye on current affairs which often have historical links. There are many well-produced and engaging historical television programmes, from entertaining ‘Horrible Histories’ to informative documentaries. If possible visit local historical sites like the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, The Imperial War Museum and Dunham Massey. When you go further afield, Hadrian’s Wall, Edward I’s Welsh castles and the Houses of Parliament are popular attractions. In Europe there are the First and Second World War battlefield sites. The most important contribution parents can make to support their son’s history studies education is to assist them in developing an active interest in the world around them.
GCSE Course Followed: History
Specification: AQA (Syllabus code – 8145)
Why Choose GCSE History?
Why should you study History?
History is an opportunity to explore the complex motivations of people throughout the ages. The continuing popularity of the subject can be seen in the fact that History departments at universities are some of the most popular and produce some of the most successful graduates. This is because the transferable skills developed through the study of History in research, analytical thinking and verbal and written communication are so highly valued. History graduates can be found in a wide variety of professions including accountancy, management, education, journalism, the civil service, the business world and the law. History also helps students to develop a sense of identity. It teaches them essential life skills, such as the importance of adopting a questioning attitude towards sources, actively engaging with different perspectives and providing evidence to justify conclusions. It also helps them to understand more fully the complex and rapidly changing world in which they live.
Historical Skills Set
Successful GCSE students need to demonstrate a range of skills:
- They should be able to handle historical sources; understand and extract information from them; compare them; analyse and evaluate them.
- They should have good factual recall and be able to deploy specific knowledge to write and argue clearly.
- They should be able to distinguish between the causes and consequences of historical events, to understand change and continuity over time and to recognise similarities and differences between historical events, movements and characters.
- They should build their confidence to discuss and debate ideas verbally through active participation in lessons.
- They should increasingly seek to take responsibility for their own learning and be willing to research independently beyond what is covered in lessons.
Students in Year 9 have already begun to study the first GCSE History topic on ‘Germany, 1890-1945’ and should therefore, be developing a good understanding of what is involved and a reasonable sense of their own abilities. If they wish to continue with the subject at GCSE level, they should be interested and committed to it. The course as a whole is highly varied, including an engaging combination of British and International History, as well as Medieval, Early Modern and Modern History. It is both challenging and rewarding, whilst also providing an excellent foundation for those students who wish to study History at A Level and beyond.
Course Content
Unit 1: Section A
Germany, 1890 – 1945: Democracy and Dictatorship
- Germany and the growth of democracy
- Germany and the Depression
- The experiences of Germans under the Nazis
Unit 1: Section B
Conflict and tension in Asia, 1950 - 1975
- Conflict in Korea
- Escalation of conflict in Vietnam
- The ending of conflict in Vietnam
Unit 2: Section A
Migration, empires and the people: c790 to the present day
- Conquered and conquerors
- Looking west
- Expansion and empire
- Britain in the 20th century
Unit 2: Section B
Medieval England – the reign of Edward I, 1272 - 1307
- Government, the rights of King and people
- Life in Medieval England
- Edward I’s military campaigns in Wales and Scotland
- The historic environment of Medieval England
Assessment
All units are assessed by examination at the end of Year 11. There are two examinations of 120 minutes which are each worth 50%. There is no coursework or controlled assessment.
We provide a wide range of information, advice and guidance to students online via the school website. Please go to the AGSB Homepage, then select ‘Students’, ‘GCSE Study Skills Pack’ and then ‘GCSE History’ to find out more. The same resources are also available via the STU HISTORY GCSE Group on 365.
Alternatively, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Croxton, Head of History and Politics, at ncroxton@agsb.co.uk if you have any further questions.
Key Stage Four Curriculum Overview
Year 10
|
Name of topic |
Key Content of the Topic |
Assessment points |
HT 1 |
Asia: Korean War |
Causes of the Korean War |
|
HT 2 |
Asia: Escalation of the Vietnam War |
End of French colonial rule |
|
HT 3 |
Asia: The End of the Vietnam War |
Nixon’s War |
|
HT 4 |
Edward I: Government, the rights of king & people |
Henry III’s legacy |
|
HT 5 |
Edward I: Life in Medieval England |
Trade, towns and villages |
Trial Exam |
HT 6 |
Edward I: Military Campaigns |
Medieval warfare, tactics and technology |
|
Assessment Points are at the teacher’s discretion at GCSE level. Assessments take the form of GCSE-style questions or key-fact knowledge tests.
|
Name of topic |
Key Content of the Topic |
Assessment points |
HT 1 |
Migration: Conquered and Conquerors |
Invasion |
|
HT 2 |
Migration: Looking West |
Sugar and the Caribbean |
|
HT 3 |
Migration: Expansion & Empire and Britain in the 20th century |
Expansion in India |
|
HT 4 |
Revision: Germany 1890-1945 |
Review of Germany content covered in Year 9 History |
|
HT 5 |
Revision: Germany 1890-1945 |
Review of exam technique for questions on Germany |
|
HT 6 |
N/A |
N/A |
GCSE Exams |
Assessment Points are at the teacher’s discretion at GCSE level. Assessments take the form of GCSE-style questions or key-fact knowledge tests.
Recommended Revision Guides for GCSE
Students are issued with excellent resources for each of the four GSCE History topics. These take the form of textbooks for ‘Conflict and Tension in Asia’, ‘The Reign of Edward I’ and ‘Migration, Empire and the People’ and a revision guide for ‘Germany: 1890-1945’. The Asia textbook is swapped for a Revision Guide in Y11.
We make a wide range of bespoke revision materials for all four topics available to students within ‘GCSE History’ in the ‘GCSE Study Skills’ folder, accessible via the STU History GCSE Group and the ‘Students’ section of the AGSB website.
Support available for GCSE Students
Students should always feel able to approach their class teacher in the first instance if they need further support.