History
BackHistory is a driving motivation to understand the facts of the world and to comprehend the forces and purpose of human behaviour. History is a robust rational framework in which to explore events and to uncover our irrational or seemingly inexplicable motivations for actions, our sentient understanding of and engagement with the world. The curriculum is strategically planned to develop a range and breadth of skills as well as knowledge that will promote and enhance progress and attainment both at KS3 and GCSE. We have high expectations of all of our students to achieve excellent outcomes which have been demonstrated in our KS3 performance and our consistently excellent GCSE results. Students will become independent and critical thinkers who can evaluate evidence and reach conclusions. They will form substantiated opinions which they can articulate confidently in written and verbal form. History makes students curious about the past and they can consider how the past influences the present. They see the diversity of human life to understand more about themselves as individuals and as part of the wider community.
The history curriculum provides an environment in which all students thrive on challenging and interesting opportunities and experiences, whilst developing a deep life-long passion for History. History is for all students to enjoy, as such it is designed to stimulate, challenge and support students learning in equal measure with all lessons and topics designed to provide a unique and engaging stimulus for every student Through a wide ranging, knowledge rich curriculum, which spans over a thousand years of history, students are exposed to a rich store of cultural capital and as a result develop an extensive armoury of analytical skills. Each topic is designed to contribute knowledge and skills which build upon students’ previous work and lead each student on a path to progress in history. Topics and their accompanying forms of assessment will tackle specific second-order concepts whilst also providing a logical chronological pathway building up necessary pre-requisite knowledge before tackling new areas. All students will have a sophisticated grasp of the nuances of the historical discipline.
Opportunities beyond the classroom are integral to engaging and captivating interest in history. All students experience local field studies and visiting theatre companies or workshops in school with the option to attend national and international tours to Europe and America. The history department leads whole school events such as Remembrance and Holocaust Memorial Day and is essential in the delivery of PHSE and SMSC. Students learn from the past to promote tolerance, respect, the rule of law, democracy and liberty. They will develop an awareness of their rights and responsibilities in an ever-changing world and will understand the diversity of experience of their peers and society.
The structure of the curriculum allows young people achieve not only academic success, but will equip them to thrive in their future education, training or career, in addition to making a positive contribution to society. The department will provide a platform for this through the provision of rigorous, challenging and inspiring teaching and learning opportunities The leadership and teaching within the history department is an example of excellence, innovation and of dynamic teaching and learning that will engage and motivate students and allow them to make rapid progress. We aspire to ensure that students enjoy their history lessons and become confident learners with a lifelong interest in the study of history and its impact and relevance on their life today and in the future.
Staffing Structure
Curriculum Leader: Miss B Speechley
Email: b.speechley@nunnerywood.worcs.sch.uk
Phone: 01905 363643
Team Structure
Curriculum Leader
Assistant curriculum leader
4 History Teachers
Curriculum Facilities
The department comprises of four specialist rooms, two of which have very recently been fully refurbished. All rooms are equipped with interactive white boards, projectors and facilitate the use of the latest multi – media learning technologies. The department is very well stocked with a range of current resources and texts in addition to historical artefacts.
KS3
KS3 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS3 teaching in the subject area
Throughout Key Stage Three, students will develop their historical knowledge and skills to enable them to understand the world in which we live and how events of the past have shaped this. Students are taught to engage in historical enquiry, debate and understand differing interpretations. They will question the past and will be able to effectively use evidence. Students will reach their own conclusions and develop an excellent knowledge of key events and people in a local, national and international context. Throughout Key Stage Three students develop transferable skills and are equipped to tackle GCSE history.
Organisation of the KS3 curriculum and how students are assessed (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings.
The Key Stage Three Curriculum course an exciting journey through history, taking a thematic approach through local, national and international events.
Year 7 – Immigration and Emigration, The Normans, Life in the Middle Ages, Challenges to the Church and Society, Local History, The Tudors and the Civil War.
Year 8 – The French, Industrial and Social & Cultural revolutions, including social change and the Welfare State and threats to democracy. The Civil rights Movement in America and Africa, immigration and emigration and global protest movements.
Year 9 – World War One, 1920s America, Genocide, World War Two and Weimar and Nazi Germany.
Students begin GCSE history in Year 9 and those who opt for it continue in Years 10 and 11.
Sources of information that may be useful
www.bbc.co.uk/history
www.activehistory.co.uk
www.spartacus-educational.com
www.history.com
www.revisegcsehistory.co.uk
www.mrallsophistory.com
www.thehistorychappy.com
KS4 - GCSE History Edecel 1-9 Code 1H10
KS4 Description of the key skills, knowledge and understanding that are a prime focus of KS3 teaching in the subject area
Throughout the course, students will develop their transferable skills that are essential to future study and employment. The aim of the course is to allow students to examine events that have shaped the world in which we live from the middle ages to the current day. The course teaches students to engage in historical enquiry and understand differing interpretations. They will question the past and will be able to effectively use evidence. Students will reach their own conclusions and develop an excellent knowledge of key events and people in a local, national and international context.
Organisation of the KS4 curriculum (brief summary of long term plan of units and very approximate timings)
Students will study four topics and will be assessed through three examinations taken at the end of year 11.
Topic 1 – Crime and punishment in Britain from 1000 to the present day. Explore how attitudes towards crime and punishment have changed over time. Examine how the modern police force and criminal justice systems developed. You will study case studies such as Jack the Ripper and Whitechapel, you will learn about how witches were punished and how the death penalty was abolished. This is a fascinating insight into how crimes and the punishments for them have changed over a wide time period.
Topic 2 – Elizabethan England 1558 – 1588. Examine the problems faced by a female monarch running a country at this time. Learn how the Church had a big impact on society at this time and how Elizabeth fought off threats and challenges from home and abroad. Find out how people spent their leisure time and what education was available to them. Understand how the poor were treated and how England developed as a trading nation.
Topic 3 – Germany 1918 – 1945 Study the effects of World War One on Germany and how the country struggled to recover. Examine the stability of the Weimar years and its eventual collapse that paved the way for the Nazis to rise to power. Spend time studying how the Nazis impacted on all aspects of life in Germany.
Topic 4 – The Cold War. Take a fascinating journey through post war international relations and learn how the rise of the superpowers created a division both ideologically and physically, examine how close the world nearly came to nuclear war, learn how space travel, weapons and sport were all used as weapons in a battle of ideas and how the Berlin Wall finally fell and global tensions eased. Throughout this unit you will look at case studies and flashpoints that had the potential to end the world!
Assessment
Details re Assessment (number of examinations, weighting, components)
Key topic list per year group
All exams are taken at the end of Year 11. There are 3 exam papers.
Unit 1 30% Crime and Punishment and Historic Environment
Unit 2 40% Early Elizabethan England and The Cold War
Unit 3 30% Weimar and Nazi Germany
Sources of information that may be useful
www.bitesize.co.uk/history
www.historychappy.com
www.activehistory.co.uk
www.spartacus-educational.com
www.revisegcsehistory.co.uk
www.mrallsophistory.com
