Curriculum
Syllabus for Year 7 History 2011/12
Module one: Basic History Skills
Module two: Pre-History
Module three: The Romans
Module four: The Dark Ages
Module five: The Medieval World
In year 7 we work to acquire the basic history skills we will need in key stages 3, 4 and 5. We cover a wide period of time from the earliest human occupation of our planet through to the end of the medieval period and the start of the modern world exploring how organised society developed.
We will follow one/two modules per half term and we will have one homework project each half term.
These homework’s will allow us to practice our individual research and learning skills and prepare us for producing extended pieces of writing and course work at GCSE level.
Some of the homework’s are ‘stand-alone’ topics which are enrichment exercises so that we may look at an aspect of life in a particular time period that isn’t usually included in the National curriculum. Others are an extension of the work we do in class and feed back into later lessons.
Syllabus for Year 8 History 2011/12
Module one: England 1500 and The War of the Roses
Module two: The Tudors
Module three: The Stuarts
Module four: The Hanover’s
Module five: Victorian Britain
Module six: Industry and Empire
In year 8 we will investigate the period 1475 to 1900 so that we can evaluate how Britain became a United Kingdom and how the influences of events and progress in other parts of the World led to important changes to how people lived in Britain.
We will follow one/two modules per half term and we will have one homework project each half term.
These homework’s will allow us to practice our individual research and learning skills and prepare us for producing extended pieces of writing and course work at GCSE level.
Some of the homework’s are ‘stand-alone’ topics which are enrichment exercises so that we may look at an aspect of life in a particular time period that isn’t usually included in the National curriculum. Others are an extension of the work we do in class and feed back into later lessons.
Year 9 History Syllabus 2011/12
Module One – Industry and Empire: Britain before 1900
Module Two – Britain in 1900
Module Three – The Place of Women before WW1
Module Four – World War One
Module Five – Between the Wars
Module Six – World War Two
Module Seven – The Modern World 1945 to 2010
In year 9 we will investigate how our modern World has been shaped by the events of the last 300 years. We will examine the changes to Britain and its society from 1900 to the present day.
We will follow one/two modules per half term and we will have one homework project each half term.
These homework’s will allow us to practice our individual research and learning skills and prepare us for producing extended pieces of writing and course work at GCSE level.
Some of the homework’s are ‘stand-alone’ topics which are enrichment exercises so that we may look at an aspect of life in a particular time period that isn’t usually included in the National curriculum. Others are an extension of the work we do in class and feed back into later lessons.
Key Stage 4
GCSE History 2011/12
GCSE History in year 11 is currently The OCR Pilot History course which the school has successfully run for the last 6 years. However this course has been discontinued by OCR to end in July 2012. So our present year 11 are the final phase of students to complete the course.
This has been replaced for our year 10 students with the OCR Schools History Project A course. This is a two year course.
The modules we follow are:
Unit A951: Study in Development – Medicine Through Time
Unit A951: Study in Depth – Elizabethan England
Unit A952: Historical Source Investigation – Developments in British Medicine, 1200-1945
Unit A953: Controlled Assessment – History Around Us
We currently have three groups studying this course who are taught by Ms Judeh, Miss Rafferty and Ms Judeh/Miss Robin.
This is a popular course which encourages individual learning with both teacher and student led progression via a variety of sources including both ICT and hard copy resources.
The course widens student knowledge of many time periods from pre-history to the present day with a focus on the development of medicine and medical techniques. The controlled assessment element is based on a local historical site.
Key Stage 5
A Level History
History at AS and A2 level is via the OCR GCE H106 and H506 courses.
AS level students will study two modules for H106:
Unit F961 Option A: Medieval and Early Modern 1035–1642
Unit F964 Option A: Medieval and Early Modern 1073–1555
History is an open ended subject with an infinite number of answers. Therefore, discussion and individual research will play a key part in the AS level course. Discussions will be teacher and peer led and there will be group work to investigate elements of the subject. There will also be a core element to the subject which students will have to assess and use as the basis for their conclusions. Formative assessment during the course will occur informally in class, through student’s class work and homework and through assessed tasks.
Summative assessment is an hour and a half exam on each unit. Each exam has the same value (100 marks) and candidates will answer two questions from three on the paper.
Students can move on to A2 level study if they achieve a grade ‘D’ or better at AS Level. History is a popular subject for employers as it demonstrates a student has the ability to look at problems from all sides and is able to consider different interpretations of any situation.
A2 Level students will study two modules for H506:
Unit F965: Historical Interpretations and Investigations
Unit F966: Historical Themes
Students will continue to learn through similar methodologies to the AS level course. In addition, there will be a greater concentration on interpretations of History as well as making links and comparisons through and across a Historical study.
Students will learn to assess different historical interpretations and to carry out an historical investigation of their own choosing. They will display a range of skills in the critical assessment of different historical interpretations and in research. In Investigations you can pursue topics of personal interest, using them to display a range of historical knowledge and understanding. This style of assessment for candidates to draw together knowledge, understanding and skills of diverse issues centred upon a common theme ensures that ‘stretch and challenge’ requirements are met.
The Historical Themes unit is a synoptic part of the specification: Students will develop an understanding of connections between different elements of the subject.
Assessment will be through:
Interpretations: One piece of work up to 2,000 words long, based on the examination of a number of historians’ interpretations in the context of the candidate’s knowledge of the area of debate.
Investigations: One piece of work up to 2,000 words long, comprising a personal investigation by the candidate. This will be based on a problem or issue about which there is a variety of views.
Themes: One two hour exam in which candidates answer two questions from three on the paper.
At present these courses are taught by Ms A. R. Judeh
AS Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Level 3
The History Department also co-ordinates and supervises the current Extended Project Course. The Exam board for this qualification is currently AQA.
This course is done as an enrichment activity for the 6th Form and some year 11 students.
Ms Judeh is the Project Centre Co-ordinator and Supervisor and Miss Rafferty and Miss Robins are Supervisors.
The Extended Project is done mainly as a Stand Alone qualification with most students following the dissertation path, however some students are following the performance/artefact path to either produce a piece of artwork, a performance or an ICT led artefact. Students following the non-dissertation path are supervised by appropriate teachers from the most relevant department.
This qualification requires students to explore a topic of their own choice and to investigate and interrogate their topic via a specific focus question. Students are assessed on every aspect of their course including planning, research, product and analysis and presentation of their topic.