History Department

Welcome to the History Department

The history department strives to promote, foster and encourage pupils’ interest, knowledge, understanding and participation in the nature and understanding of history.
The department aims to provide an enriching, positive and rewarding experience for all pupils and ensure that they achieve their full potential regardless of gender, culture, class, or ethnic origin; by this, making history accessible to all, using differentiation throughout its delivery to all Key Stage’s.
At Key Stage 3 the department and its members will deliver the National Curriculum for Key Stage 4, the history department uses Edexcel. When the pupils progress into the Sixth Form they undertake an AS and A2 GCE in history that is examined by Edexcel.
Pupils will be taught the following skills in the abovementioned themes in Key Stage’s 3 and 4:

Breadth and Depth of study
Chronological understanding
Knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past
Historical interpretation
Historical enquiry
Reading
Understanding texts
Speaking and listening
Finding things out using, for example, ICT
Organisation and communication
Writing

Rationale
History is yesterday, today and tomorrow. Therefore, history is essential to a pupils’ understanding of the many facets of life today that have been shaped by yesterday and that in turn can help shape the future. History fosters debating and thinking skills that are developed through its implementation in a pupils’ education and such skills can be transferred not only to other subjects but to society and daily life. Therefore, history is taught to the highest standard throughout all of the Key Stage’s.
Aims:
The History department aim to:

Ensure access to the curriculum for ALL pupils regardless of academic and physical ability, race, class, language, culture, religion or special educational needs.
Ensure a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated range of educational experiences for ALL pupils
Provide an environment where all pupils are respected and valued and their uniqueness recognised and celebrated, which is secure, welcoming and safe.
Recognise that all pupils have a valuable contribution to make to the learning process and each other’s success, safety and well-being.
Educate against and challenge ignorance, prejudice and discrimination.
Recognise and address but never condone the existence of racism and sexism in society.
Help prepare all pupils for adult life and the world of work in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society
Raise an awareness of the existence and needs of those who suffer prejudice and discrimination
Celebrate and reflect the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of the school and community
Respond and relate to the requirements of the schools equal opportunity policy.

Department Staff:
Mr I Moore (Curriculum Leader)
Mr C Doel
Ms C Paisley
Mr M Thorley

The department has a ranged of book resources for all age ranges taught and beyond. ICT resources are numerous and each key stage has a bank of resources to use with, for instance, the Interactive White Board.
The department has the use of two full time classrooms and numerous others. School trips fare highly on the yearly calendar with, for instance, trips to the Cabinet War Rooms for year 11 to compliment their coursework, and Whitechapel in East London where students get a historical tour of where Jack the Ripper operated in the nineteenth century; this also compliment their coursework.

Overview of History at the Convent
Key Stage 3 (Year 7-9)
Year 7
In year 7 students are introduced to the nature of history and what the historians’ craft is. Once they have completed this stage, they investigate the complexities of the Roman Empire and Its Rise and Fall. Following this, students look at the medieval world which is followed by a comparison with the Islamic Civilization. Students look at how both developed and how they were shaped by certain events.
Year 8
In year 8 students are introduced to the complexities of the Tudor world. They look at Tudor society, religion and politics together with, for instance, literature, art and marriage. A look at the key Monarchs is interesting where students get to investigate how religion played such a key role in how the United Kingdom has been shaped. This is followed by a look at the Stuarts and how their world functions, with a look at the same aforementioned themes. The year concludes with a look at what the Tudors and Stuarts did for us.
Year 9
In year 8 students begin with a general look at Change between 1750 and 1900. They look at how aspects like politics, medicine and health, population, work, education and religion contributed and were affected by the Industrial Revolution. Students investigate in depth working conditions, how living conditions changes and, for instance, how the Victorians looked at history. A mock GCSE coursework investigation on Edwardian Britain follows this. The aim is for the students to look at ‘The Sinking of the Titanic’ and the class structure at the time. The two World Wars are looked at next, with the rise of the Dictators in Europe once World War One had concluded. The Cold War follows which ends with the 1980’s and how the world witnessed the collapse of the Berlin Wall.
Key Stage 4 (Year 10-11)
In years 10 and 11 students begin with an overview of the key skills in history that are required at GCSE level. Once this has been completed, students look at the causes and consequences of the two World Wars; called International relations, 1900-1939. Following this, students investigate the USA between 1941 and 1970; called The Divided Union. These two units are examined in January and June of year 10 respectively. Each Unit makes up 25% of the GCSE for History.
In year 11 students complete their coursework assignments in the first term; looking at the Effectiveness of Policing in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Soviet Union between the 1917 and the 1939 concludes the taught part of the GCSE course. Revision follows in the summer term that concludes once the candidates have sat their last written exam. Again each of these units makes up 25% of the GCSE for History.
Key Stage 5 (Years 12-13)
In years 12 and 13 students complete an initial introduction to what is expected at Advanced Level in history. Students then begin their AS History by looking at Britain and Ireland from 1867 until 1922. During the same period they study the colonisation and independence of British Imperial Africa between 1875 and 1980.
In year 13, students undertake their coursework module which is based on Russia, 1856-64. Alongside this students study Superpower Relations, 1944-1990; this final unit investigates the Cold War and concludes with an exam in the summer term.