History

History tells us who we are, where we came from and how we are connected. Without studying history we cannot understand where we are now or where we are going in the future. Studying history often ignites a passion, a curiosity and a determination in students.

"I am a Medievalist and I love having debates with our Modernists about when the most significant events have happened in our past. I am also proud that we deliver nationally recognised Holocaust Education. I am committed to ongoing research to expand our knowledge in order that we can responsibly teach about the Holocaust and WWII within the classroom and beyond.

"History is what tells us who we are, where we came from and who we are connected to. Without studying history we cannot understand where we are now or where we are going in the future.

"History develops a passion to ensure that wrongs in the past are not repeated in the future. A curiosity about how people in the past thought differently or similarly to them even though their lives may be separated by hundreds of years. A determination to study hard and write with maturity and authority; accepting that a piece of writing or research may take time to develop and refine before it is completed.

"Historians never stop questioning. They question why things happen. They question how they can truly know what happened. They even question other Historians! This ability to question and think critically encourages a confidence to communicate ideas and challenge injustice.

"History is a really interesting subject which teaches you a variety of skills. It helps you to analyse a series of events and reflect on how that led to a particular outcome. History also helps you to critically analyse sources and determine their credibility. This is really helpful for the future as the media often distort the truth which is actually quite damaging as they have such a strong influence. These skills help you to determine which articles are genuine and credible."

Alisha Buss, Year 11 student.

Year 7
Learning outcomes	Develop skills of extended writing with clear focus on constructing and sustaining a line of argument Develop the ability to apply knowledge to specific questions Develop skills of source analysis with particular focus on inferring meaning from sources and comparing the usefulness of sources Developing skills of studying interpretations of the past and identifying differences between them
Topics taught	The Roman Empire and Britain The Norman Conquest King John and Magna Carta Medieval England and the Black Death Persecution of the ‘witches’
Year 8
Learning outcomes	Develop skills of extended writing with focus on using more detailed evidence to support a line of argument and reach a clear analytical judgement Develop the ability to apply detailed knowledge to specific questions Develop skills of source analysis with particular focus on evaluating historical interpretations Developing skills of studying interpretations of the past and explaining why Historians have different interpretations of events
Topics taught	The Tudors; Richard III to Elizabeth I Cause and events of WWI Impact of WWI at home and on the front line Persecution of Native American Indians Migration and the American West
Year 9
Learning outcomes	Develop extended writing skills – producing clear line of argument, focused explanation and analysis and analytical judgements in relation to 8, 12 and 16 mark GCSE questions Develop skills of source analysis – inferring meaning form sources, analysing utility of sources, comparing the content and provenance of sources and evaluating historical interpretations in relation to 4, 8 and 16 mark GCSE questions
Topics taught	Peace Making 1918-1919 The rise of Hitler World War II and the Cold War The Holocaust Paper 3 GCSE Edexcel – Germany 1918-1939
Year 10
Learning outcomes	Develop extended writing skills – producing a clear line of argument, focused explanation and analysis and analytical judgements in relation to 8, 12 and 16 mark GCSE questions Develop skills of source analysis – inferring meaning form sources, analysing utility of sources, comparing the content and provenance of sources and evaluating historical interpretations in relation to 4, 8 and 16 mark GCSE questions
Topics taught	Paper 3 GCSE Edexcel – Germany 1918-39 Paper 1 GCSE Edexcel – Medicine through time from 1250 to the present and surgery and treatment on the Western Front 1914-18 Paper 2 GCSE Edexcel – Elizabeth I 1558-1588
Year 11
Learning outcomes	Develop extended writing skills – producing clear line of argument, focused explanation and analysis and analytical judgements in relation to 8, 12 and 16 mark GCSE questions Develop skills of source analysis – inferring meaning form sources, analysing utility of sources, comparing the content and provenance of sources and evaluating historical interpretations in relation to 4, 8 and 16 mark GCSE questions
Topics taught	Paper 2 GCSE Edexcel – Elizabeth I 1558-1588 Paper 2 GCSE Edexcel – The American West 1835-90 Revision

Remembering the past, shaping the future.

Miss C West, Head of Faculty