COURSE FACTSHEET
Advanced Level Foundation — History module Who is this course for?
Recognised by widest choice of quality universities
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation is based on A-level syllabuses, taught by A-level teachers, assessed against A-levels and moderated by an independent Advisory Board of external examiners. As such, it is one of the most highly academic and successful pathways to leading UK universities.
Kings does not work with a narrow range of university partners. This is because our Advanced Level Foundation is based on, and linked to, A-levels. It is therefore automatically recognised and accepted by the widest choice of universities. Out of the Top 25 universities listed in the Times and Sunday Times 2019 rankings, 20 have accepted Kings Foundation students.
Pearson assured
Benchmarking against A-Level grades
Key Facts
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation has Pearson assured status, awarded after an annual Pearson audit of quality assurance.
Typical top 30 university offers to students following the Programme are based on their normal A-level offers. The Programme is benchmarked against A-level grades as follows:
Start dates: 7 January, 8 April*, 1 July*, 9 September 2019; 6 January, 6 April*, 29 June*, 7 September 2020 (*Extended version) Locations offered: Oxford
London
Bournemouth Brighton
Level: Minimum IELTS 5.5 (standard version); IELTS 4.0 (extended version). Completed 11 – 12 years of schooling. Minimum age: 17 Length: 1 Academic Year (3 terms). Or Extended Advanced Level Foundation of 4 – 7 terms (including 3-term Advanced Level Foundation) Lessons: Average 21 hours per week (plus homework and private study) Class size: 8 – 12 Learning outcomes: à Raise academic qualifications to UK university entrance level à Raise English to university level à Develop learning and self study skills for degree level
Advisory Panel Standards for the Programme are set by an external and independent Advisory Board which meets three times each year to ensure best practice, moderate marks where required and hear appeals.
Assessment Paper
Weighting
Term 1 Assessment
30%
Term 2 Assessment
35%
Term 3 Assessment
35%
Typical A-level offer
Typical Kings Foundation offer
A*A*A*
80%
AAA
75%
AAB
70%
ABB
65%
BBB
60%
CCC
50%
Extended option Students with lower language levels can join an extended programme of 4 – 7 terms (including the 3-term Advanced Level Foundation), from IELTS 4.0. It offers practical content designed to provide a bridge into UK academic life. The main focus is developing suitable language proficiency for the Advanced level Foundation with concentrated IELTS lessons, but as the course is made up of English language classes and some 1:1 or small group study, it has the flexibility to also provide bespoke academic study skills and subject enrichment. The course can also include a Maths GCSE if required.
Advanced Level Foundation
Sept
Jun
Apr
Jan
Sept
Jun
Apr
Jan
Sept
Jun
Pathways
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation IELTS 4.0
Extended Foundation IELTS 5.0 IELTS 4.5
Extended Foundation Extended Foundation
Top 20 university Top 20 university
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Vacation
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
Advanced Level Foundation
Vacation
Top 20 university
COURSE FACTSHEET
Course structure and content The programme is highly flexible, and able to adapt to the needs and academic aspirations of each student. It does this through a combination of core modules and a series of elective modules which can be combined in different ways to create main subject streams: Main subject streams à Business à Engineering à Life Sciences and Pharmacy à A rchitecture à Media and Communications à Humanities and Social Sciences à Mathematics, Computing and Science
Core modules are: à Communication and Study Skills à Data Handling and Information Technology Elective modules are: à A rt and Design à Biology à Business Studies à Chemistry
à Economics à History à Human Geography à Law à Mathematics à Media à Physics à Psychology à Politics and Government
2018 – 19 Sample academic timeline September
October
November
December
January
February
September starters
10 Sept: term starts Student induction
20 – 28 Oct: half term
University fairs/visits
14 Dec: term ends CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams
7 Jan: term starts
14 – 17 Feb: half term CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation) University fairs/visits
January starters
—
—
—
—
7 Jan: term starts Student induction
14 – 17 Feb: half term University fairs/visits
March
April
May
June
July
August
September starters
22 Mar: term ends Assignments* End of term exams
8 April: term starts Assignments*
Assignments*
14 June: term ends CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)
—
—
January starters
22 Mar: term ends Assignments* CSS Assessment 1 (Written) End of term exams
8 April: term starts Assignments*
Assignments*
17 – 18 June: 2 day break CSS Assessment 2 (Presentation)
CSS Assessment 3 (Listening and Reading exam)
2 Aug: term ends
*students spend two weeks on each assignment and do three in total — one for each of their ‘elective’ modules. Please note that specific dates are subject to change.
History module structure and content Learning outcomes On successful completion of the course students should: à Be aware of some of the major trends and events which shaped the UK and Europe over a 125 year period à Have considered the impact of competing ideologies in the world à Have studied the economic, political and social change on society within the periods you study à Have developed the skills required to be able understand, analyse and evaluate the evidence for human actions à Assess the level of continuity and change over a specific timeframe Term 1 The Growth of Empires c.1857-1919 à Explaining Empire: general causes of imperialism such as economics and
competition; the role of chartered companies such as the East India Company; attitudes towards empire à Expanding Empires: implications for British rule such as rebellion in India; the Suez Canal; investigation of geo-political rivalries; informal empire; colonial management through direct and indirect rule à Legacy of Empire: impact of empire on Britain; discussions around how far Britain benefited from empire; impact on international relations in the build up to the First World War Term 2 The Search for Peace and Stability c.1919-1939 à Development of Communism: the Russian Revolution; attempted revolutions of 1920; the Chinese Civil War à Establishment of Collective Security: strengths and weaknesses of the League of
Nations à Impact of Global Economic Crisis: effect of interdependency; rise of extremes and events in the 1930s such as the Italian invasion of Abyssinia and appeasement of Nazi Germany Term 3 The Cold War c.1945-1989 à Establishment of two ideological blocs: aftermath of the Second World War and the Peace Conferences à ‘ Hot’ Conflicts: a study of conflicts such as the Korean War and the conflict in Vietnam
COURSE FACTSHEET
Recommended reading
Sample enrichment activities
Below is a list of text books normally used on this course. In many cases the textbooks will be supplied by the school, and you may borrow them for the duration of your time at school. However, if you already know what three subjects you want to choose you may prefer to purchase one before you arrive. àH einemann Advanced History: The Coming of the Civil War 1603-49 Paperback by David Sharp àA ccess to History Context: An Introduction to Stuart Britain, 1603-1714 by Angela Anderson àH einemann Advanced History: France in Revolution 1776-1830 (Heinemann Advanced History) by Sally Waller àA ccess to History: Napoleon, France and Europe Third Edition by Andrina Stiles and Dylan Rees àA ccess to History: Stalin’s Russia 1924-53 4th Edition by Michael Lynch àA ccess to History: Germany: The Third Reich 1933-1945 for AQA 3rd Edition: The Third Reich 1933-45 Paperback by Geoff Layton (Author)
à History Film Club à Visit to Hampton Court Palace à Houses of Parliament trip à Bletchley Park visit à Victoria and Albert Museum à Trinity Arts awards
Alumni who took the History module
Student name
Advanced Level Foundation Modules
University
Course name
Louis Bernard Guy Goldstein
History/Business/Economics/Data/CSS
University of Reading
Consumer Behaviour and Marketing with Industrial Training
Felix Helsmoortel
History/Economics/Law/Data/CSS
King’s College London
History and International Relations
Nima Nokandeh
History/Business/Government & Politics/Data/CSS
Oxford Brookes University
Law
Pierre Petit
History/Economics/Geography/Data/CSS
Lancaster University
History
Anastasiia Silaeva
History/Art & Design/Government & Politics/Data/CSS City University
Psychology
1800 08/18
Below is a selection of degree courses some of our most recent alumni have gone on to study: