The Crypt History Department PoS (2024-2025)
History Vision Statement
Summary:
1 - Encouraging curiosity in a diverse past (e.g. social, cultural, political)
2 - Building historical skills to engage criticallywith the past (e.g. significance)
3 - Encouraging independent and creative researchers
4 - Having a fully inclusive curriculum (everyone’shistory)
An awareness of our history is crucialto understanding the world around us; historical knowledge and associated critical skills willshape our students intoeffective citizens in this world. Knowledge is the cornerstone of history teaching, and students can look forward to exploring important questions in British history and beyond. An understanding of these questions, onthe nature of change and significance, willequip students with the skills to critically engage in the complex world they livein. Alongside inspiring students’ curiosity, the curriculum will help students to become more autonomous and creative learners; this holistic skillset is particularly valued by employers and universities.
History students can expect to investigate a wide-rangingnumber of fascinating topics and historical questions. TheKS3 curriculum has been designed chronologically around major events in Britain’s (and wider European) history from 1066 onward, which allows them tobuild a coherent pictureof how Britain has changed and developed. Areas of study are chosen for their relevance to British society today, and for the wider moral questions they raise. Introducing anumber of different themes (such as women’s history or social history) will both diversify knowledge and harness the natural interest and inquisitiveness of students. A key feature of history lessons is that students will be supported in thinking critically, weighing evidence, evaluating importance and asking perceptive questions about historical sources. In addition, question stems (and associated skills) from the GCSE exam will be covered in the KS3 curriculum,to allow greater academic success.All theseskills will be built progressively throughout thekey stages, to prepare students for successful GCSEs, A levels, and beyond.
Topics studied inKS4 and 5 are chosen tobothcomplement student’s existing knowledge and to broaden their wider historical understanding. A level studentswill investigate American history (taking us through the time after the AmericanRevolution to the end of the CivilWar), Norman England (from pre-Conquestto Henry II), and Russian history (starting with the Russian Empire, Communist Revolution, untiltheCold War). GCSE students will explore20th century USA, Medicine through time, Conflict and Tension 1918-1939, andNorman England.
Year7
Year8
Topics: Consolidation of skills and the ‘Ancient World’
Enquiry question: How civilised was the Ancient World?
Content:
What is History, Using sources & interpretations to make a judgement, key features of Roman society
Skills: Base-line skills covered particularly sources/interpretation
Cultural Capital includes: Roman Britain, government & society, interpretative nature of history
Topics: Dangers of Tudor England
Enquiry question: How dangerous was Tudor England?
Content: Religious conflict between Protestants & Catholics, Witchcraft, Gunpowder Plot
Skills: Sources & interpretations
Cultural Capital: Minorities in the Early Modern Era, Reformation, Religious intolerance,
Topics: Power in Medieval Britain
Enquiry question: How important were the two pillars of control in Medieval Britain?
Content: Battle of Hastings case study, Conflict between church & state, Thomas Becket, History of warfare/medicine project
Skills: Causation & independent research
Cultural Capital includes: Nature of Norman Conquest, Temporal vs spiritual power, importance of religion in medieval society
Topics: The Industrial Revolution
Enquiry question: How revolutionary was the Industrial Revolution?
Content: Social conditions of the Industrial Revolution, Urbanisation, Public Health, Crime & Jack the Ripper
Skills: Nature & extent of change
Cultural Capital includes: Technology and new inventions, Cultural/
Topics: Life in the Medieval (emphasis on the vulnerable)
Enquiry question: What was life like in the Middle Ages?
Content:
Daily life, key features of medieval society, Black Death impacts
Skills: Consequences/ impacts
Cultural Capital includes: Fragile nature of human existence within medieval society, Medieval antiSemitism & patriarchy, pandemics
Topics: Medieval Middle East & African Kingdoms
Enquiry question: How different were societies throughout the world in the Middle Ages?
Content: Middle Eastern culture /architecture /medicine, organisation & culture of African Kingdoms
Skills: Similarities & Comparisons
Cultural Capital: Islamic culture, Tolerance v Intolerance, Justification of Holy War, advances in medicine, West African civilisation pre-European intervention
Topics: Growth, morality & resistance towards the British Empire
Enquiry question: How were people affected by the British Empire?
Content: Development of Empire, Impacts on Britain & colonies, British in India, legacy of Empire
Skills: Consequences & impacts
Cultural Capital includes: Legacy of the British
Topics: Transatlantic slave trade
Enquiry question: How did people resist the slave trade?
Content: Origins of slavery, experiences of slavery, slave resistance, impact on South West England, campaign for abolition.
Skills: Significance & causation
Topics: Thematic study on political power
Enquiry Question: How has power shifted from monarchs to the people?
Content: Medieval kings, Magna Carta, Civil War, 19th Century reform, Votes for women
Skills: Thematic nature of change over time
Cultural Capital: Importance of Magna Carta & constitution, struggle between parliament & monarchy, evaluating effectiveness of protest tactics, British democracy today
Topics: Thematic study of multicultural Britain
Enquiry question: Has Britain always had a multicultural identity?
Content: Roman to medieval migration groups, Irish migration, British empire & post WW2 migration
Skills: Thematic study of change
Cultural Capital: Push/pull factors of migration, political/religious
Topics: Castles
Enquiry question: How revolutionary are medieval castles?
Content: Key features of castles, life in castles, attacking & defending castles, Local study on Goodrich Castle
Skills: Significance
Cultural Capital: Castles in the South West, Symbolic nature of castles, Medieval architecture
Basic understanding how aspects of Medieval societies functioned.
Explain the nature and power of medieval monarchy and the impact of key events/developments/changes.
Assessing one level of significance for historical people/events.
Able to write a PEE (point, evidence, explanation) paragraph using basic terminology & literacy.
Infer and make basic judgements about key medieval events by studying both primary and secondary sources of evidence.
Topics: Votes for women
Enquiry question: How did women achieve political suffrage?
Content: Tactics of Suffragists & suffragettes, death of Emily Davison, role of women in WW1, short & long term causes of WW1
Skills: Causation
Cultural Capital includes: Importance of extending the political franchise, tactics used to cause
To understand how society changed due to the challenges it faced, including reasons for this change.
Evaluate the reasons for change (eg religion), starting to differentiate between short & long term causes & consequences.
Able to write PEE paragraphs, with a wider range of evidence being used & links made between paragraphs.
To analyse the content of sources and draw conclusions about one aspect of provenance.
To appreciate there are several aspects of significance to explain the cause of events.
Year9
witchcraft & patriarchy, Black Tudors experience political impact of urbanisation, Impact of industrial past on Britain today, government intervention in crime & public health
Topics: Thematic study on tolerance
Enquiry question: How fragile is tolerance in Britain?
Content: Ancient World, Early Modern, Anne Lister, WW1 & disability, 20th C LGBTQ+
Skills: Thematic study of change
Cultural Capital: Ideas of rights and protection of rights, influence of government, religion and individuals, LGBT individuals, Post WW2 liberalism,
Topics: What was it like to fight in WW1? (emphasis on aspects of trench experience)
Enquiry question: What did it take to fight in the trenches?
Content: Impact of modern weapons, fighting WW1 battles, life in trenches, recruitment & propaganda
Skills: Significance
Cultural Capital includes: Relevance of Remembrance Day, experience of WW1 soldiers, use of government propaganda, ‘total war’, Empire troops
Topics: USA – boom, bust & New Deal
Content: Causes of economic boom, changes in USA cities, racial inequality, impact of New Deal & Great Depression
Cultural Capital: Nature of materialism, race relations in the US, women breaking tradition roles, role of government in economy
Empire, Exploitative nature of imperialism, How the Empire has added to Britain’s culture today, Morality of cultural appropriation.
Topics: Nazi Germany & The Holocaust (emphasis on Holocaust)
Enquiry question: What allowed the Holocaust to happen?
Content: Nazi rise to power, life under a dictatorship, Holocaust causes & consequences
Skills: Causes & consequences
Cultural Capital: How can dictatorships start? Aspects of Nazi life, life for Jews in 1930s, responsibility of the Holocaust, memorialisation
Cultural Capital includes: Experiences of Slavery, Olaudah Equiano, Black abolitionists, legacy of slavery today across the world and locally, Colston Statue debate
Topics: World War II & impact on the ‘Home Front’ (emphasis on domestic/social aspect)
Enquiry question: What impact did WW2 have on the Home Front?
Content: Dunkirk, Blitz, Rationing & evacuation, WW2 presentations
Skills: Significance
Cultural Capital: The ‘victory’ of Dunkirk, Impact of war on ordinary people, ‘spirit of the Blitz’, WW2 outside of West Europe
refugees, minorities in British history, Windrush generation & economic migrants post WW2
political change, women’s role in the WW1, Traditional gender stereotypes
Finisheconomicbust
Topics: Impact of WW2 & post-war changes
Content: Social & political impact of WW2, Civil Rights campaign, Feminist movement
Cultural capital: Civil Rights relevance today, feminism relevance today, Red Scare responsibility
Topics: Medicine –medieval & Renaissance
Content: Supernatural causes of disease, public health, role of the church, impact of renaissance
Cultural capital: case study of Black Death, Islamic Empire’s impact on European medicine, Scientific thinking revolution, Edward Jenner impact
FinishRenaissance
Topics: Medicine – 19th century
Content: Germ Theory, changes to 19th C surgery, Impact of Industrial Revolution
Cultural Capital: Poverty in British towns, Germ Theory revolution, nature of pioneering medical techniques
Topics: Dropping of the A bomb & Cold War (emphasis on nature of conflict)
Enquiry question: Was it right to drop the atomic bomb?
Content: Reasons for dropping the A Bomb, causes of Cold War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War & protest movement
Skills: Sources & interpretations
Cultural Capital: Morality of dropping an Atomic Bomb, was Cold War inevitable? Ideologies of capitalism & communism, dangers of nuclear war
Topics: Medicine: 20th century & overview
Content: Penicillin, Impact of wars, creation of the NHS, Modern surgery
Cultural Capital: Medical development during wartime, importance of the NHS, morality over future treatments
Topics: Making of modern Britain (focus on increasing equality)
Enquiry question: How has Britain become a more equal society post WW2?
Content: Post WW2 Britain, Welfare state & NHS, Immigration, cultural change in 60s & 70s, gender & sexual equality
Skills: Group work & transferable skills
Cultural Capital: Post-War immigration, cultural developments, significance of NHS, growth of tolerance post WW2, LGBTQ+ rights
Topics: Tudor Historic Environment (Subject to change annually)
Content: Subject to change
Cultural Capital: Subject to change
Developed understanding of the interlinked reasons why historical events occur (eg WW1).
Deeper understanding of how WW1 & WW2 were ‘total wars’ with wide-ranging impacts.
Understanding how 20th century events shaped the modern world (Britain & beyond) & relevance today
More complex evaluation of sources usefulness & reliability, including an analysis on their provenance (author, date created, purpose).
Writing shows developed analytical thinking, whether through multi-causal explanations of change or different aspects of significance.
Understanding of the long term causes of cultural, social & economic change.
Identification of what forces can oppose change in history.
Appreciation of how history is relevant to & has created modern day USA/ British medicine.
Developing explanations of significance using ‘complex thinking’ (differentiation by group/type/length).
Year11
AQAExam Board
Topics: Restoration England - Crown, Parliament, Plots and Court Life & Life in Restoration England
Content: Post Civil War context, reasserting royal power, Power & plots in Charles II’s court, Scientific Revolution, Great Fire of London, Great Plague 1665-6, growth of cities including London
Cultural Capital: Nature of epidemics, philosophy of the enlightenment, who should rule?
USA topic: Westward Expansion
Content: What opened up the west in the 19th Century? Exploration, Federal influences, Individuals, Economy, Ideology.
Cultural Capital: Impact of colonisation and international relations.
Topics: Restoration England – Land, trade & war & review Historic Environment topic
Content: Growth of the British Empire in India & Caribbean, impact of the slave trade, piracy, East India Company, wars with France, Netherlands & Spain
Cultural Capital: Link between slavery & racism, nature of early capitalism, international relations
Topics: Conflict & Tension – peace making & League of Nations
Content: Armistice terms, impact of the treaty, formation of the League of Nations, reasons for its collapse
Cultural Capital: Versailles relevance today, peacemaking lessons, failure of multinational bodies
Topics: Conflict & Tension – causes of WW2
Content: Development of tensions, escalation in the 1930s, outbreak of war
Cultural Capital: Debate over appeasement, Causes of war, psychology of leadership
Revision & GCSE Exams Summer School taster sessions
Students are able to provide a more developed explanation of the usefulness of sources using greater historical context & provenance.
Students are able to apply their understanding of GCSE content to explain what key events are significant and what is the driver of change.
Develop a thematic view of history, and what factors influence a theme over a longer period of time.
Consistently developing explanations of significance & cause using ‘complex thinking’ (differentiation by group/type/length).
Students are able to provide a more developed explanation of the usefulness of sources using greater historical context.
Students are able to apply their understanding of GCSE content to explain what key events are significant and what is the driver of change.
USA topic: Native Americans
Content: Why was there conflict between the Native Americans and the Union? How did the Union effect the livelihood of the Native Americans?
Cultural Capital: A focus on an oppressed minority
USA topic: Sectional Tensions
Content: Why did tensions between the North and the South deteriorate? How important was the issue of slavery to the Union?
Cultural Capital: Understanding the lasting impacts of slavery and the
USA topic: Sectional Tensions
Content: How important was the issue of slavery to the Union? Did Lincoln make civil war inevitable?
Cultural Capital: The nature of sectionalism and the impact it has on
USA topic: The Civil War
Content: Looking at the leadership of both the Confederacy and the Union. Understanding the significance of key battles during the Civil War.
Cultural Capital: Understand the impact of war including the specific
Introduction to coursework- independent research skills
Content: Choosing topics and questions, students should be able to begin building their research skills in preparation for next year.
Cultural Capital: Building independent skills to aid
Students can make judgements about which factor/s affect Expansion westward and the lives of Native Americans throughout the 19th Century.
Students can also argue what factor/s caused the biggest impact between tensions of the North and the South and how this led to the Civil War. This will require a high level of thinking and understanding.
The concept of federalism and manifest destiny. looking at the long-term impacts of colonisation. discrimination minorities continue to suffer.
Tudors Topic: Mid-Tudor Crises
Content: Edward VI reign, Mary I’s marriage & religious policies, social & economic issues in midTudor England, threats & rebellions
Cultural Capital: Misogyny and religious persecutions within Tudor England
CONTINUED from term 1 Topic: Elizabeth’s religious reforms & government
Content: Terms of Religious Settlement, Roman Catholic resistance, role of puritans & Archbishops, Elizabeth’s style of rule, succession & marriage question, impact of this.
Cultural Capital: Religious strife and political and religious methodology of unifying a polarised populous
society. The nature of Civil War impacts a civil war can have.
research- key skills needed for most careers.
Students can discuss and compare concepts using multiple PEEL paragraphs and a substantiated conclusion.
Year13
OCRExam Board
Russia Topic: Alexander II, Alexander III & Nicholas II
Content: Nature of Emancipation, Liberal Reforms under Alexander II, the ‘reaction’ under Alexander III, industrialisation & growing opposition, reform & reaction under Nicholas II
Cultural Capital: Uneven & de-stabilising nature of industrialisation, political autocracy, Russian traditions
Russia Topic: Provisional Government & Lenin
Content: February Revolution, Dual Authority, PG in crisis, November Revolution, Red Terror, Civil War
Cultural Capital: Nature of democracy, socialism, use of violence for political change
Russia Topics: Stalin & Khrushchev
Content: Great Terror, Modernisation programme, WW2, Cold War, De-Stalinisation
Cultural Capital: Totalitarian regimes, methods of industrialisation, WW2 impact on Russia, Cold War from Russian perspective
Topic: Elizabeth’s economic & social reforms
Content: Sources of income, inflation, overseas trade, action on poverty & effectiveness, dealing with the poor
Cultural Capital: Uneven distribution of wealth, and State intervention to manage poverty and destitution
Topic: Elizabeth’s later years
Content: relations with parliament, war with Spain, social & economic problems of 1590s, Essex Rebellion, decline in popularity
Cultural Capital: The nature of law & order within the renaissance era and political patronage
CONTINUED from term 5 + introduction to Russia
Content: Key events in Russia, key concepts (eg ideology), context of Tsarist Russia, Russia today
Cultural Capital:
Students can give multi-layered reasoning for the causation/consequences of key events in the time period.
Students can understand & analyse a complex chronology of Tudor rule
Students can create a complex historical judgement on why/how multiple sources agree/ disagree (including provenance)
Russia Topics: Thematic overview – government & nationalities
Content: Style of government, effectiveness of opposition, structure of central/local government, freedom of nationalities, Russification
Cultural Capital: Perseverance of political systems, nature of freedom, cultural conflict in multi-national states
Russia Topics: Thematic overview – economy & war
Content: Industrialisation, Agricultural problems, living conditions, war as a driver of change, social/political impacts of war
Cultural Capital: Common people left behind, recurrence of famine, importance of total wars
Exams Deep chronological understanding of Russia from 1855-1964
Students are able to describe 100+ events/concepts in Russian history
Students are able to give nuanced analysis on why certain events are particularly significant
Students can evaluate the nature and amount of change at multiple points between 18551964
Students can place multiple secondary sources within a wider historical debate, applying a range of historical knowledge to evaluate their validity
Students can analyse trends & important turning points within a particular theme (eg economy) over a broad period of time
Coursework: preparing an introduction to your essay and producing a written section of it.
Coursework: how to write a draft of coursework essay. November examinationGermany paper
Coursework: developing feedback to strengthen essays
Coursework- final essay completion. Final revision
Students have an appreciation of how Russian history complements/contrasts with preexisting historical knowledge
Students have the ability to undertake independent learning & confidence to undertake a research question effectively
Students can be confident in using primary sources to critically evaluate a historical debate.
Students will be able to create a sustained argument using a broad range of historical knowledge & research.