History

What is History?
Like the Quaker faith, History may need explaining but not defending. Whenever there is a global or national event of any significance, news media rush to describe and account for the causes. That is History. Whenever one seeks to see beyond the visible, that is History. It is the sum of all experience made understandable to a current living generation. It is the memories of those who are dead but who still speak to their heirs. It is the wisdom of those who turn to look back in their journey forward.

Your child will be encouraged and taught to:
Place events, people and changes within a chronological period
Have a range and depth of historical knowledge and understanding
Describe reasons for and the results of historical events and changes (causation)
Assess the significance of the events/people/changes studied
Explain how and why historical events/people/changes have been interpreted differently
Investigate independently the periods studied, using sources
Ask and answer significant questions
Reach conclusions
Evaluate the usefulness of sources and their reliability
Organise and communicate knowledge and the understanding of history through extended narratives, using accurate terminology to describe and explain the topics and periods studied.

Many older generations grew up with school history being a succession of events, linked by dates, all of which inexorably tumbled one after another into a morass of information which could be presented orally or on paper. As someone once said, ‘a knowledge of the past is an interesting thing: it distracts from more serious matters.’ Our object is partly to teach children about their and the world's past. More importantly, it is to encourage them to become thinking, critical beings, able to assess and evaluate what they are told, to have a healthy scepticism of so-called truths and to reach their own opinions based on what they know to be truth because of the evidence.

History is partly an interesting story about this country's and other countries' past, but it is and must be a great deal more. It is at one level a lesson about human behaviour, its successes and its mistakes. At another level it is about understanding people very different from ourselves, with alien values and motivations who happen to have lived in the same geographical space but in a different time sphere. At a higher level it is about creating the desire for finding a truth where such a truth can probably never be found for certain, and learning to live with an incomplete understanding.

If these are our purposes, we are indeed aiming high but, as we say in the classroom, our choice is either to teach children difficult ideas or give up. At the very least we owe it to our generation that children are not 'dumbed down' by low expectations. On that basis, if God had intended us to climb mountains he would have created lifts. We still climb mountains and we don't think God is unhappy about that as long as we don't forget why we want to climb them.

What will you child study?

Year 7
We start with an introduction to the subject by a number of exercises designed to encourage pupils to see the similarities between the work of detectives and that of historians. We then begin to test those skills by looking at particular moments in the past: three Iron Age bogmen, the age of Tutankhamen, the sinking of the Mary Rose, and other examples chosen from differing periods of time and location. In the process of this introduction, we place a strong emphasis upon the importance of the written word as the primary, but not the only, means of communication. Each lesson begins with 10 minutes of quiet reading from history books, liaising with the Library and the English Department.

We then proceed to study an anglocentric version of British history, going back into the neglected Dark Ages ensuring that the children realise where the English came from and how they colonised this island, marginalising the Britons. It remains an excellent context for the major topic of the year, namely the events of 1066 and the nature of the political system imposed on the English by the Normans. We then explore various questions concerning the main features of that system, particularly the power of the Christian Church in the lives of all classes of the people. We conclude the year with a detailed study of castles, their architecture, development and their demise. The Black Death of 1348 to 1369 is a suitably appealing finale.

Year 8
As before, the topics are presented in the form of questions.  We launch into a broad study of England in the 16th and 17th centuries. We look at the lives of the people, rich and poor, young and old, men and women, and draw comparisons with today. We return to and build on the development of the Church and the impact of the Protestant Reformation. This involves Henry VIII and his wives, Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I and others. The 17th century, with its own cast of characters and villains follows.

Year 9
This is the last year of compulsory school history and we cover two large topics: the first half of the year sees the Industrial Revolution examined; the second half sees a more detailed study of Britain and the Second World War. All topics are presented still as questions and there is an increased use of source material so that a greater awareness and a need for interpretation are achieved, addressing issues of relevance, reliability and utility. Students may opt to take the study of History to GCSE.

How will your child be assessed?
There are three principles which we follow
We should be clear about what your child should learn
Your child should be able to express what s/he knows
Each child should be allowed to fulfil their potential

Homework is set once a week for all classes as a 30-minute exercise. It is intended to support work in the classroom by providing extra time in which to complete tasks set; to undertake exemplar tasks; to perform work which saves time in the classroom and to practise research.

History used to be compulsory in this country because it was good for you to learn about what put the Great into Britain. In many countries it's still compulsory at your age to study your country's history, partly at least to encourage a sense of loyalty and belonging. Nowadays, living in a liberal democracy, we like to give choice and History is one of the subjects that we would like you to choose.

Those who don't know better might say to you:  "Don't waste your time on the past: look to the future!"  These are mistaken people who think that the past is full of mistakes to be ignored, rather than lessons to be learned. Your life will hopefully be a long one - until you are 80 years old or more. If you think you will gain some wisdom and experience in those 80 years, why not learn a little about those who created the world during the last 80 years in which you now live?

Think:
How else can you make sense of the present unless you have a good understanding of the past?
How are you going to change the world if you haven't checked to see how it got into its present state?
How can you take part in a system if you don't know how it works?

A person without a past is a shadow without a body. History helps give you a mind, body and soul - three for the price of one!

Course Content
Our course covers the Modern World and deals with some of the main events of the 20th century. Paper 1 looks at Conflict in the World, up until the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Paper 2 looks at two important countries in detail – the United States of America during the 1920s and Germany during the 1930s.

The Coursework topics are quite prescriptive and involve looking at Britain during the First and Second World Wars.  The questions set are intended to change each year. It is our practice, and intention to maintain a biennial field trip to the Battlefields of Flanders and France at the end of September 2011.

Assessment
75% by examination in 2 papers of 1 hour and 45 minutes each.
25% coursework, assessed from two assignments.
The same exam papers are taken by all. It is currently expected that some candidates will take Paper 1 in January of their Year 11, with the knowledge that it can be retaken at the end of the year in the normal way should this be preferred.

Specification: AQA History B 4047
Click here to download the current specification for this GCSE course.

And the Future?
Employers who see that you have a qualification in history know that you possess certain useful and relevant skills such as:
You can understand how people tick, what they think and feel.
You are able to gather and read different kinds of information.
You are able to look carefully at this information and can check it for bias.
You can read maps, graphs and other diagrams.
You are able to communicate clearly on paper.
You are able to see both sides of a question and still answer it.

History is a good choice in preparing for lots of careers - every lawyer, solicitor or barrister practises the ideas and techniques endlessly. It is a good qualification for journalists, secretaries, accountants, TV researchers, policemen and women. It's obviously relevant for scientists who have to be able to communicate with others and to explain their researches to society. Any area of life involving administration and decision-making values the skills taught within a history qualification. Employers and Universities like to see that you followed a balanced course at school and History has a good reputation going for it. It's also really useful in quizzes and you can impress your friends by knowing more about what's going on in the world than they may do.

'You only live once. See what other real people did with their lives. Then do better.'

AS and A Level

“The past is never dead.  It’s not even past.”  William J Faulkner

It is one of the strange aspects of human nature that other countries with the least history tend to value it most.  If you’re reading this far, you probably already feel and realise the importance of History in our lives, as well as its interest. The basic requirement of a good student of history is the ability to think and to write, more important even than the additional requirement of reading.  It is important to be able to form an opinion and be able to argue it on paper while being aware of contrary opinions.  Perhaps the most important skill is to achieve an understanding of the lives and values of others in a decidedly different environment to our own.  The course involves you in a need to explore the role of individuals, ideas and groups in varied periods in the past.

History is an excellent preparation for a number of degree subjects and thereafter for all kinds of careers.  The objective, rational approach, coupled with the ability to extract information and apply it, is valued across most methods of employment. It provides a solid training in logic, argument and research, as well as the often-mentioned communication skills. Law and journalism have been deeply associated with History over the years, but it applies also to any level of management.  Being a ‘people’ based subject, it can also lead into any of the caring professions.  Indeed, History opens more doors, perhaps, than any other subject on the ‘Arts’ side of the curriculum.

There are two courses in each year. We aim to introduce you to a broad and varied range of historical topics and periods.  So, at AS level, you are likely to study ‘The Condition of England 1815-65’ and ‘Mussolini’s Italy, 1922-1945’.  The A2 programme will comprise the second 19^th century unit on England 1865 to 1914 (including Ireland) and a coursework unit. Currently this is the European Renaissance 1450 – 1600 but can change depending on the students’ preferences.

There is no coursework for the AS.

If you are considering taking History in the Sixth Form, it is not essential to have studied the subject at GCSE as there is intentionally no content in common. There are skills which will need to be drawn upon, but these can be learned quite quickly by a willing student. If in doubt, just ask one of the teachers.

Comments from 2 recent and successful students:
“History changes your values and perceptions to an almost alarming degree.  It makes you really criticise everything you say, while allowing you to think for yourself.”

“Studying History is helpful for looking at how modern day society has been influenced by past actions. It is really interesting to understand how people used to think”

Specification: AQA  History AS 1041  A 2041
Click here to download the current specification for this A level course.

Assessment

AS Examinations
Unit 1 – HIS1A–HIS1N - Change and Consolidation
50% of AS, 25% of A Level - 1 hour 15 minutes written examination - 72 marks - Choice of 13 different optional units

Unit 2 – HIS2A–HIS2S - Historical Issues: Periods of Change
50% of AS, 25% of A Level - 1 hour 30 minutes written examination - 72 marks - Choice of 18 different optional units

A2 Examinations
Unit 3 – HIS3A–HIS3N - The State and the People: Change and Continuity
30% of A Level - 1 hour 30 minutes written examination - 90 marks - Choice of 13 different optional units - Available in June only

Unit 4 – HIS4X - Historical Enquiry
20% of A Level - Coursework unit - 60 marks - Approximately 3500 words on an analysis of a historical issue - Available in June only