Studying History is an absolute must as it enables us to gain access to the laboratory of human experience. When we study it reasonably well, and so acquire some usable habits of mind, as well as some basic data about the forces that affect our own lives, we emerge with relevant skills and an enhanced capacity for informed citizenship, critical thinking, and simple awareness. The uses of history are varied. Studying history can help us develop some literally "salable" skills, but its study must not be pinned down to the narrowest utilitarianism. Some history, that confined to personal recollections about changes and continuities in the immediate environment, is essential to function beyond childhood. Some history depends on personal taste, where one finds beauty, the joy of discovery, or intellectual challenge. Between the inescapable minimum and the pleasure of deep commitment comes the history that, through cumulative skill in interpreting the unfolding human record, provides a real grasp of how the world works.
Knowledge
10
9
8
7
Russia 1929—1953
England: Turmoil and Triumph
The Tudors 1485-1547
Russia 1917—1928
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Weimar and Nazi Germany: 1918-1939
Henry VII and Ministers
Revision
Medicine through time: C1900—Modern
Superpowers and Cold War
The Western Front and Source Skills Civil Rights in America
Arab-Israeli Conflict
Mao’s China 1945-1976
Medicine through time: Medieval c1250-1500
The Industrial Revolution
The campaign for women’s suffrage
The Slave Trade What is History? The Norman Conquest
WW1 Life and Religion in the Middle Ages
Medicine Through time: Renaissance c1500-17:00 Enlightenment c1700-c1900 WW2 The Holocaust The Tudors The Stuarts
Essay Structure
11
The Tudors 1547-1603
Change and continuity
12
Revolution and Dictatorship
Significance
13
The Tudors
Sources
Year
Skills
Students in Year 7 study the concepts of monarchy, power and sovereignty while identifying the changing relationship between the rulers and the people they rule. Through each topic we focus on cause and effect and highlight themes which bring about academic discussion. Starting with the ‘What is History?’ unit: Students develop the five key concepts using evidence, interpretations, significance, change and continuity and cause and consequence. These concepts are used as tools for students to make sense of, and understand, the volume of knowledge required for the development of expertise. Firstly, students begin by learning about the various types of sources, and how to analyse them to identify how reliable or useful they are. Students will also learn the of chronology and sequencing of events to ensure they are able to apply their knowledge correctly when checking the accuracy of evidence and interpretations. They will soon become aware that different evidence leads to different conclusions and being able to assess this accurately makes a good historian.
This leads into the events of the 1066 and the Norman Conquest where three kings vied for power. This vital period changed England in various ways; from the language, order of society, architecture and castles. Our students then make their way through the English and European Medieval realm and its history, zooming in on the challenges and how the church and society has changed and developed over time. Analysing momentous historical events such as the Black Death, students analyse how this seemingly horrifying disease, instead of plunging the continent into darkness, led to the gradual reawakening of Europe. Finally, our students focus on the rise of the great dynasties that have helped shape how society, church and our political system function today. We zoom in on the Tudors looking at Henry VIII and his issues with accession, Elizabeth I and the threats she faced, both internal and foreign, and then lastly, students look at Charles I and the relationship with parliament and how and why the English Civil War broke out.
Term 1 Topic
What is History?
Term 2 The Norman Conquest
Life and Religion in Medieval Times
Term 3
The Tudors
The Stuarts
England Before 1066
Life in a Medieval town
War of the Roses
Gunpowder plot
Stone Castles
Henry VIII - problems/ wives
Causes and Conspiracy
Chronology
Qualities of a medieval king
Sources
3 men for 1 king
Break with Rome
Who fought who
Murder mystery
Fulford and Stamford Bridge
Catholics and Protestant
Life during Civil War
Religious rollercoaster
Why Parliament won
Edward and Mary I
Trial and execution
Elizabeth I - portraits/ marriage problem/ Mary Queen of Scots/Spanish Armada/
Life without a king
What makes History special?
Battle of Hastings William takes control
Summary of Content
How did the Normans change England
The Church Medieval punishment A monk murder mystery Thomas Becket Richard I Crusades King John Magna Carta Black Death causes/ treatment/cures/ consequences
Witchcraft
Great Fire of London
Tudor Torture
Peasants Revolt Review
Assessment
Subject knowledge
Extended written question on the Norman Conquest
A range of source analysis questions. Extended piece of writing question.
Exam: The Tudors and Stuarts combined exam paper
Students in Year 8 focus on change and upheaval of traditional opinions and ideas to new and modern ways of thinking as they weave their way through the history of the Enlightenment to modern day. First, students delve into the workings of the industrial revolution, how through empire, raw materials, entrepreneurs, new inventions and the growth of population, we developed into one of the most powerful industrial nations. We will analyse primary and secondary sources to discover who and how individuals benefited in this time of great change. We learn about the rise of the British Empire, look at account from the slave master to the slave owner as we research the slave trade and its impact on economy and world views. Then, we examine the importance of human rights against economic, political and political motivation in the fight for women’s suffrage. Students come to understand the challenges faced in the establishment of rights we take for granted today. Finally, students learn about world conflict and the world wars and relationships between nations, how motivations of imperialism, militarism, ideology, nationalism and alliances led the world into chaos. We look into the causes and consequences of peace treaties that were a contributing factor in the development the Nazi party and start of WWII. We examine how through a dictatorship and totalitarianism; Hitler and the Nazi party were able to take power and control the heart and minds of the people in Germany.
Term 1
Topic
The Industrial Revolution
The Slave Trade
- How industrialization - What the slave trade was began and the impacts it and how it started had on British society and the landscape of Britain - The effects of the transatlantic slave trade on Britain and how it was - How society changed Summary of eventually abolished Content - What Industrial life was like for townspeople
Assessment
Subject knowledge and extended writing question
Term 2 The campaign for women’s suffrage - How Britain became a democracy and will focus in particular on the different campaigns and tactics used by;
-the suffragettes -the suffragists
Term 3
WWI
WWII and the Holocaust
-How the world changed in the early years of the twentieth century
- TOV and impact
- Analyse the causes of WW1, how WW1 was fought and the impacts of WWI.
- Key events and impact
- Rise of Hitler - Causes of WWII (long term and short term) - Holocaust
- The impacts of slavery in North America and the Caribbean
Source based Exam
A range of source analysis questions
Extended piece of writing question.
Exam: all topics from year 8
The Year 9 History course covers a broad range of medieval and modern depth studies. The year of study begins with the Civil Rights Movement in America. Students will investigate how far African-American lives in the southern states lives improved after the abolition of slavery. We then look at the various forms of segregation and identify what the purpose of this was. Zooming in on various key events, students will learn about how each led to the improved status of black people throughout America such as the bus boycott, Brown vs Topeka and the death of Emmet Till. Students finish this unit of study by watching the movie, ‘The Butler’, to investigate how accurately this era has been portrayed. The next topic of year students will learn about is Mao’s China, 1945-1976. Students will learn about the social, political, cultural, economic and ideological differences between Communism and Capitalism. They will investigate how Communism brought many changes to China, both good and bad and will query whether or not the benefits of China’s development were worth the costs by focusing on significant historical events such as the changes to the role of women, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Students then move onto the third modern depth topic of the year, ‘Conflict in Palestine: Jews, Arabs and the Middle East Since 1900’. The Arab–Israeli conflict is a modern phenomenon, which has played a major role in politics and history across the world. The conflict became a major International issue with the birth of Israel in 1948. The Arab–Israeli conflict has resulted in at least five major wars and a number of minor conflicts. Students will enjoy learning about how the conflict began and how key events such as the Suez-Sinai war, the Uneasy Peace, and the war in Lebanon have reshaped the Middle East to what we know and see today. We finish the rest of the year with the start of the thematic study on Medicine Through Time from c1250 to present day. Thematic studies cover a long period of history, and require students to know about change and continuity across different ages and aspects of society. Students will learn about key individuals, events and developments and make comparisons between the different periods studied. Students investigate factors such as war, governments, chance and individual action that have all worked together in the past to bring about or prevent developments in medicine.
Term 1
Topic
Civil Rights in America Jim Crow Laws
Political differences
Segregation schools
Setting up Communist rule
Brown vs Topika Emmit Till Bus Boycott Source work Martin Luther King Non-Violent protest Leaders Summary of Content
Assessment
Mao’s China 1945-1976
Timeline and review
Life in China Women Great Leap forward The Cultural Revolution Consequences of the Cultural Revolution
Term 2 Arab-Israeli Conflict The roots of the conflict: Zionism and Arab nationalism The start of the conflict Challenges to British rule, 1937-47 The end of British rule, 1947-48 1948: Liberation and Catastrophe The conflict: The Suez-Sinai War of 1956 The reshaping of the Middle East, 1956-67 War by other means, 1967-73 From Yom Kippur To Camp David, 1973-79 War in Lebanon The conflict since 1985
Extended writing based on GCSE trail questions.
Term 3
Medicine Through time:
Medicine Through time:
Medicine Through time:
Medieval c1250-1500
Renaissance c1500-1700
Enlightenment c1700-1900
Key individuals (Hippocrates) Ideas about the causes of disease (The Four Humours) Approaches to treatment and prevention Black death
Key individuals of the Key individuals time (Harvey/ (Pasteur/Koch/ Vesalius/Sydenham) Jenner/ Nightingale/Lister) Key institutions and impact (Royal Change and continuity in ideas Society) about causes of Change and disease continuity in ideas (Germ Theory) about causes of Change and disease continuity in ideas Change and about approaches to continuity in ideas treatment and about approaches to prevention treatment and Cholera and impact prevention on public health Great Plague and impact
End of year exam; based on GCSE questions
Year 10 begins with students focussing on twentieth century developments in medicine. Students use sources and ask questions as part of an historical investigation into medicine on the Western Front during the First World War. We zoom in on how the developments of medicine in the 20th century contributed to the treatment of various injuries and illnesses experienced by soldiers in World War I. Students then move on to study Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-1991. We Investigate why, at the end of WW2 the USA and the USSR were the only countries in the world deemed as ‘superpowers’, and how stark differences opened up between them in their political and economic systems after the defeat of Nazi Germany. As we examine Stalin’s methodical takeover of Eastern Europe, we look at the American response, reaction and the policy of containment in action. We identify high points of the Cold War crisis where the world came close to nuclear war and then, the periods of detente and reconciliation. With changing statesmen in both the Whitehouse and Kremlin, and, increasing economic pressures on both sides, we investigate the end of the Cold War. Agreements and their significance are considered such as SALT 1, SALT 2, and the Helsinki Accords. Key individuals such as Reagan and Gorbachev are studied, as well as the impact of the fall of the Berlin Wall are studied and evaluated as we close with the fall of communism in Eastern Europe.
Term 1
Topic
Medicine Through time: C1900-Modern Genetics Key individuals (Chain/Florey/ Fleming) Antibiotic
Summary of Content
Key institutions (NHS/ government) Change and continuity in ideas about approaches to treatment and prevention
Medicine through time: The Western Front and Source skills Source investigation and skills
Practice exam paper Practice exam questions
Superpowers and Cold War - Origins of the Cold War, 1941-1958
Injuries, treatments and the trenches
(Break up of Grand Alliance/Stalin’s takeover of Eastern Europe/Truman Doctrine and Marshal plan and impact/ Berlin Blockade/Hungarian Crises)
Key organisations (FANY/ RANC)
- Cold War Crises, 1958-1970 (Berlin Wall/Cuban Missile Crises/Czechoslovakia)
Key ideas (Plastic surgery/ Blood transfusions and impact)
- The end of the Cold War, 1970-1991
Nature and effects of wounds Effects of gas attacks
Assessment
Term 2 and 3
(SALT 1/SALT 2/Helsinki Accords/Impact of Russian invasion of Afghanistan/Olympic boycotts) - Key individuals (Reagan and Gorbachev) - Various summits and fall of the Berlin Wall
Easter Trial; First part of the Cold War End of Year trial: Whole exam paper of Cold War Topic
In Year 11, students are introduced to the focus of Paper 3, Germany, 1918-39. Students will learn about the legacy of the First World War and the Creation of the new Weimar Republic. Threats to the republic (Right and Left) are studied as well as the Impact of the Treaty of Versailles. Consideration and evaluation is given to whether or not the new republic appeared doomed from the start. The successes of the Stresemann Era and the boost this gave to Weimar Culture and morale are studied, as turning points are identified, in particular, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the consequences of this in Germany, leading to the rise of the Nazi Party. We study Hitler’s rise to and consolidation of power. Emphasis is given to his methods of control and dictatorship. We investigate Life in Hitler’s Germany. Policies towards women, and youth are examined as well as an investigation into employment and living standards. We study the persecution of minorities and their resistance to the Nazis prior to the start of World War Two. Finally, in Year 11, students will learn about the development of the monarchy over time, focusing specifically on Henry VIII and his diplomacy. We examine his foreign policy and the role of key individuals including Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell. The king’s marriages are studied including the divorce and the downfall of Anne Boleyn.
Much emphasis is given to the break with Rome and dissolution of the Monasteries evaluating Henry’s religious views. Any remaining time left is a chance to review all GCSE topics.
Topic
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918-1933
Henry VIII and his ministers
Exams and Revision
Creation of New Republic
Development of the monarchy over time, focusing specifically on Henry VIII and his diplomacy
Threats to the Republic (Right and Left)
Topics include:
Impact of TOV
Foreign policy
The Stresemann Era and Weimar Culture
The impact of Cardinal Wolsey and Thomas Cromwell
Legacy of the First World War
Impact of the Great Depression Summary of Content
Hitler’s rise to power Hitler’s consolidation of power Control and dictatorship (propaganda and police state: dealing with opposition) Life in Hitler’s Germany Policies towards women/policies towards the young/employment and living standards/persecution of minorities.
Assessment
Practice papers and January Mock Exam
This term will give the students the chance to review all GCSE topics. This will include exam practice and revision lessons.
The Divorce and the downfall of Anne Boleyn The King’s marriages The break with Rome and of the Monasteries
dissolution
Rebellion and treason
Practice papers
GCSE Exams
During A Level, students consider the changing nature of power in Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1917-53. This option provides the opportunity for study in depth of the coming and practice of communism in Russia.
Term 1
Topic
Dissent and revolution, 1917
The condition of Russia before the revolution of February/March 1917 Summary of Content
The February/ March 1917 revolution
Bolshevik Consolidation 1918-24
The October/ November 1917 revolution The consolidation of the Communist dictatorship. The Civil War
Developments between the revolutions of 1917
Assessment
Essay question
Source question
Term 2 Bolshevik Consolidation, 1918-24 and Stalin’s rise to Power
Stalin’s rise to power 1924-28
Economic and Social Ideological debates developments and issues in the leadership struggle Foreign relations and the attitudes of foreign powers
Economic developments and Stalin’s’ Great Turn
The power vacuum and the power struggle
Essay question
Term 3
Black Civil Rights in the USA, 1865-1968 Non Examined Assessment An Independent Historical Investigation Learning the key content and activists. Evaluating key groups, individuals, their achievements and the extent of change
Source question
Mock Exams
It explores concepts such as; Marxism, Communism, Leninism and Stalinism, ideological control and dictatorship. It also enables students to study issues such as political authority, the power of individuals and the inter-relationship of governmental and social and economic change.
Term 1
Topic
Economic Developments under Stalin The decision to collectivise The first Five Year Plans
Allocated time for the Summary of Non Examined Content Assessment
Term 2
Stalin’s Rule 1929-1953
Agricultural and social developments in the countryside Industrial and Social Developments in towns
Stalinism, politics and control 1929-43
Dictatorship and Stalinism The Yezhovshchina Culture and Society
The development of the Stalin and Stalin cult International relations The social and economic condition of the Soviet Union by 1941
Assessment
Source question and NEA
Mock Exams
The Great Patriotic War and Stalin’s dictatorship 1941-53
Term 3
Revision for A Level Exams
The Great Patriotic War and its impact on the Soviet Union, 1941-45 The defeat of the Germans High Stalinism, 1945-53 The transformation of the Soviet Union’s international position
Essay and source question
A Level Exams
Simultaneously, students study The Tudors, England, 1485-1603. We study in breadth issues of change, continuity, cause and consequence. We examine the establishment of the Tudor Dynasty after the Battle of Bosworth and how effectively powers of the monarchy were developed. Students will assess and evaluate how effectively England was governed during this period.
Topic
Term 1
Term 2
Henry VII
Henry VIII
Term 3 Henry VII
Black Civil Rights, USA 1865-1968
The consolidation of Henry VII’s government of power England England’s relations with Scotland and England’s finances other foreign under Henry powers, 1485-1509 Was he really a English society at miser king? Summary of the end of the Content Henry’s relationship fifteenth century. with and control of Economic the nobility development and trade The importance of religion, humanism, the arts and learning under Henry VII Assessment
Henry VII’s legacy Henry VIII’s character and his early aims Actions Henry took when he became king The rise and domestic policies of Wolsey
Wolsey and Foreign Policy
The Dissolution of the Monasteries
The King’s Great Matter
Opposition to and consequences of the Dissolution
The Rise of Cromwell and his role in securing the break with Rome Opposition towards the Catholic church
Ministers, revolution and Factions in the Tudor Court
Non Examined Assessment - An Independent Historical Investigation Learning the key content and activists
Evaluating key groups, individuals,their Economic and Social achievements and the extent of factors in Henry change. VIII’s reign Henry’s later foreign policy
The changing nature of Foreign Policy and England’s relations with foreign powers is investigated. In addition, we look at English society and economy and the impact of economic changes. The development of intellectual and religious ideas in Tudor times is evaluated. Emphasis is given to the role and impact of key individuals and groups.
Term 1
Topic
Instability and consolidation: ‘the mid-Tudor crisis, 1547 - 63’ The consolidation of power
Henry VII’s government of England
England’s relations England’s finances unwith Scotland and oth- der Henry er foreign powers, Was he really a mi1485-1509 ser king? Summary of English society at the Henry’s relationship end of the fifteenth Content with and control of the century. Economic nobility development and trade The importance of religion, humanism, the arts and learning under Henry VII
Assessment
Essay question and NEA
Term 2 The triumph of Elizabeth
Term 3
Elizabeth I
1563-1603 Henry VII’s legacy Henry VIII’s character and his early aims Actions Henry took when he became king The rise and domestic policies of Wolsey
Mock Exams
Revision for A Level Exams
Wolsey and Foreign Policy
The King’s Great Matter The Rise of Cromwell and his role in securing the break with Rome Opposition towards the Catholic church
Essay and source question
A Level Exams
Underpinning our knowledge rich curriculum are essential skills. Both knowledge and skills intertwine to enrich the learning experience of our students at Holyport College. Our curriculum has been designed to ensure the students acquire the knowledge and skills that they need and gives them opportunities to practice and apply them over time, in order to master them. The following skills are vitally important and are assessed at regular intervals throughout each academic year.
These are the A* A Level assessment descriptors' for the key skills in History;
Source
- Make a judgment and provide evidence to support it - Analyse the validity, utility or reliability of a source based its provenance (all 3 criteria)
- Evaluate the extent of change or continuity - Comment on and analyse the nature of change/continuity
Significance
- Reach a judgment based on relevant evidence - Acknowledgment and analysis of different factors - Supported explanation for argument - Use of own knowledge outside of material provided
Change and continuity
Essay Structure
- Consistent argument throughout essay - Consider all sides of the argument - Reach a justified conclusion based on relevant evidence - Shows sound understanding of topic and depth of knowledge
Link to full A Level and GCSE Skills Assessment Grid for History