History

History tells us who we are, where we came from and how we are connected. Without studying history, we cannot understand where we are now or where we are going in the future. Studying history often ignites a passion, curiosity and determination in students.

A passion to ensure that wrongs in the past are not repeated in the future. A curiosity about how people in the past thought differently or similarly to them even though their lives may be separated by hundreds of years. A determination to study hard and write with maturity and authority; accepting that a piece of writing or research may take time to develop and refine before it is completed.

By studying history, we develop knowledge and understanding of chronology, we can identify key features of historical periods, the role of significant individuals, events and turning points. History develops our understanding of continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity and difference, historians do this by making connections, analysing trends, and investigating big historical questions. History enables us to make connections between different aspects of the periods and themes studied; between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, social, political, religious and military history; and between short and long-term timescales.

Historians never stop questioning. They question why things happen. They question how they can truly know what happened. They even question other Historians! This ability to question and think critically encourages confidence to communicate ideas and challenge injustice.

Curriculum information

Year	Autumn	Spring	Summer
7	History from above The development of Church and State 1066 – 1509 The Norman invasion and conquest, including life before 1066. The development of castles as a result of the Norman Conquest, including local study of Newcastle Castle.	History from above The study of an aspect or theme in British history that consolidates and extends pupils’ chronological knowledge from before 1066 Britain, Health and the Nation (prehistoric – medieval medicine)	History from above The development of Church and state 1509 – 1745 The Reformation and Counter-Reformation Elizabeth 1
8	History from below The development of Church and State 1509 – 1745 The English Civil War Trail and execution of Charles I Ideas, political power, industry and Empire 1745 – 1901 Transatlantic slave trade and abolition.	History from below Ideas, political power, industry and Empire 1745 – 1901 The industrial revolution	War as the locomotive of change Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day Causes and Events of World War One The inter-war years
9	War as the locomotive of change Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 – present World War II The Holocaust	War as the locomotive of change Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 – present The Civil Rights Movement The Cold War Creation of the Welfare State in Britain The Nazi’s a warning from history	War as the locomotive of change The Nazi’s - a warning from history
10	Thematic study and historical environment Crime and Punishment	Thematic study and historical environment Whitechapel Period study The American West	Period study The American West
11	British depth study Elizabeth	British depth study Elizabeth Exam preparation	Exam preparation
12	The Early Stuarts	The Early Stuarts and the English Civil War	The Early Stuarts and the English Civil War

My favourite part of GCSE history was the topic of Weimar and Nazi Germany. I enjoyed learning how to apply my contextual knowledge to a question in order to support a point; this information was easy for me to recall after lots of practise in lessons.

Year 11 student

I enjoy GCSE history because it has helped me to develop and extend my knowledge and understanding of key events. It has taught me how over time things can change in society, such as people, crimes and punishment.

Year 10 student