History

Key Stage 3

In Years 7 to 9 boys study a curriculum intended to give them both a broad overview of key events in British and World History from 1066 – 1989, and to provide them with the fundamental historical skills required to study the subject further up the school. In Year 7 the scheme of work covers the mediaeval period and includes such topic as the Norman Conquest, the Black Death and the Peasants' Revolt while using historical sources extensively and introducing students to concepts such as bias. In Year 8 boys move on to early modern topics such as the Reformation, the Spanish Armada and the English Civil War while developing their use of sources to consider the reliability of different evidence. Finally, in Year 9 the boys will study the modern period with a focus on the Cold War. They will achieve further sophistication in handling sources by looking at the relative utility of different evidence and how this relates to previous concepts studied.

GCSE

All boys who opt for History will study the OCR Modern History (B) syllabus which comprises two examination papers (75%) and a coursework assignment (25%), the latter of which is completed at the end of Year 10 and beginning of Year 11. History has enjoyed successful results in recent years with the A* – A grade rate well above average. The course content is based around British and World History from c.1900 – 1939, and covers International Relations 1919 – 1939; Russia 1905 – 1939 and Britain 1900 – 1918. The coursework assignment covers aspects of the First World War.

AS and A2

There is a strong take up for History at AS Level, and most of these AS students continue to A2. All boys who opt for History study the AQA specification and within this a broad diversity of topics are taught which present the boys with breadth of study and capitalise upon the subject specialisms of staff. At AS the boys will sit a British paper (25%) and a European paper (25%). At A2 the boys will sit a thematic paper (30%) and undetake an independent coursework assignment (20%), which allows them to pursue an investigation into an area of personal historical interest. AS and A2 have enjoyed successful results in recent years. For the most able, special classes are offered for those boys considering an application to the Oxbridge colleges, to study History or Law.

Extra-curricular

History is an exceedingly popular subject amongst the boys and this interest and enthusiasm is supported by staff outside as well as inside the classroom. The History Society offers regular talks on a diverse range of subjects, while the department offers trips to relevant historical sights and exhibitions on a periodic basis.