History

The History curriculum in Key Stage 3 has been designed to ensure that students develop a strong understanding of British history and our place in the world. Students consider how British society has changed over the past millennium and the challenges and opportunities that British people have experienced. The aim of the curriculum is to develop a strong sense of identity and appreciation of the collective experience of British people. 

As students develop their historical knowledge, they will also improve as historians and learn to develop their own lines of historical enquiry. Students will be encouraged to consider continuity and change across time periods, similarities and differences and causes and consequences. Students will learn the key skills of historians including source analysis and the evaluation of differing interpretations.  

In Key Stage 4, students study four units – two British and two international: 

• Norman England c.1066-1100 

• Power and the people: c1170 to the present day 

• Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and dictatorship 

• Conflict and tension: The inter-war years, 1918–1939 

These topics have been chosen as they complement one another and provide students with a balance of breadth and depth study. The British units provide students with an excellent understanding of some of the key pillars of British identity: the development of law, order and government in the UK. The international units provide students with the opportunity to explore the collapse of democracy and international cooperation in Europe, allowing them to appreciate how fragile these concepts are.