History

“Historians are dangerous people” Nikita Khrushchev

Apart from being an interesting, fun and dynamic conversation with the past, History is vital in a world full of opinions. People who see that you have a GCSE in History know certain things about you. They will know that you have taken on skills which, learned through History, can be applied to all sorts of situations. They know that you can understand how people tick, what motivates them, 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 evaluate it; you can read maps, graphs and other diagrams; you are able to communicate clearly and have learned to express yourself verbally and on paper. History teaches you to read through lies and propaganda - the mountains of information we face on a day to day basis - and search for the truth.

History is a useful, and often necessary, subject for a lot of careers and not just the obvious ones.

"With a history degree you can aspire to be Prime Minister, press baron and media mogul, overlord of the BBC, 'the most famous lawyer in the land', Archbishop of Canterbury, top spook, leading diplomat, police chief, Oxbridge chancellor and vice-chancellor, England footballer and football manager, or chairman of the richest football club in the world, famous comedian or celebrated pop musician, best-selling novelist, trade union boss, business millionaire and perhaps even one day monarch of the realm." Professor David Nicholls, Manchester Metropolitan University

We will be studying the Edexcel 9 – 1 GCSE specification which gives students a fascinating range of topics to study. In addition to this it is likely to give them an excellent platform for going on to study the subject at A Level. At the same time, it should be seen as a subject which is accessible to all students but potentially challenging and stimulating for those pursuing the top grades

There is no coursework or controlled assessment and all assessment is made by three papers at the end of the two-year course.

Topics being studied might include:

Paper 1

Warfare and British society, c1250–present and London and the Second World War, 1939– 45 This paper examines how warfare has shaped life in Britain as well as studying the changing nature of warfare itself. There are case studies on some of the great battles of British history such as Waterloo and the Somme and even a study as recent as the 2003 Iraq War There is also a study of a historic environment: London in the Blitz

Assessment is made by questions which cover both knowledge and source analysis.

Paper 2

Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88 and Superpower Relations, 1941 -91

This paper includes two very different options. The British Depth Study is designed to give students a detailed insight into one of the most dramatic periods of English history: the Norman Conquest It is a study of war and dramatic social change brought about by the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy, his victory at Hastings and his attempts to control his new kingdom.

The second part of the paper is very much more modern in focus. This part of the course involves a study of the events which came to be known as the Cold War It traces the collapsing relationship of the USA and USSR in the second half of the twentieth century which so nearly led to nuclear war on several occasions. Assessment is made by questions which target knowledge and understanding.

Paper 3

Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39

This in-depth study of Germany in the turbulent inter-war period examines the reasons for the rise of the National Socialist dictatorship which, by 1939, was already on its way to spreading terror across the continent of Europe

Assessment is made by questions which target both knowledge and source analysis.

Any questions about GCSE History should be directed to Mrs Croxton

Mrs C. Croxton Head of History c.croxton@merchanttaylors.com