Academic/Subject Departments

History

What do you need to study History?

• an interest in the subject
• an inquiring and lively mind
• an enjoyment of discussion and debate
• an ability to express yourself well in discussion and on paper

• no previous experience of the subject

What will you gain from studying History?

• habits of independent study
• confidence to contribute to discussion
• research skills
• analytical skills
• ability to manage information
• clear, logical written style
• ability to express your own point of view effectively

• respect for the views and perspectives of others

At Key Stage 3, we begin in Year 7 by considering what History is and then we move on to look at the Norman Conquest and its consequences and aspects of medieval life.

In Year 8, we cover the following topics –

• The Tudors and Stuarts
• The Princes in the Tower
• The Reformation and its consequences
• The English Civil War
• The Glorious Revolution
• Aspects of life in 16th and 17th centuries

• The General Cemetery – a local study which focuses on the Industrial Revolution in Sheffield

Key Stage 3 ends with studies of –

• The Industrial Revolution and its consequences
• The History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
• The Growth and decline of the British Empire
• The extension of the electoral franchise in 19th and 20th centuries and women in the 19th and 20th centuries
• The First World War
• Aspects of War
• The Treaty of Versailles

• The Second World War and its impact on Britain

History is a popular GCSE choice and we follow the AQA Schools History Project Syllabus.

Our students find the GCSE course interesting, stimulating and a good basis for understanding issues in the news today, as well as a great deal of fun. History also allows you to develop skills of analysis, explanation, evaluation and debating. These skills are extremely useful in any career which you might pursue in later life.

The course consists of three parts over the two years of the course. In Year 10, you study how and why medical knowledge has developed from prehistoric peoples to the present day. Then you move on to a coursework unit based upon a site visit to Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire, to look at why the mill developed in the late eighteenth century and the working conditions of child workers in the mill.

In Year 11, we look at Nazi Germany, exploring the reasons why Hitler got into power and then looking at the state which Hitler created, including the Holocaust.

There are two examination papers which test factual knowledge and skills. Coursework is worth 25% and is completed in a controlled assignment.

History fits in well with whatever other GCSE subjects you are doing. If you do other humanities subjects then you will find that the skills you learn in each will have relevance and help in them all. History also requires clear and analytical thinking and so also appeals to students studying Mathematics or Sciences.

In Modern Languages you learn about the culture of other societies. History provides you with the background to these.

AS and A2 History covers the following –

Unit 1 looks at Russian History from 1880 to 1917 culminating in looking at the reasons for the two Russian Revolutions of 1917

Unit 2 involves the study of the campaign of the American Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, concentrating specifically upon the roles of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X

Unit 3 is the study of British History between 1918 and 1964, looking at changes in society and politics in this period as well as Britain’s declining role as a world power

Unit 4 is a personal study based on the causes and impact of war between 1900 and 2007

What can you do with History A-level?

Accountancy, law, banking and financial management, business, civil service, human resources management, journalism, medicine, politics, television and radio are just some examples.

All units are by examination. No coursework option is taken.

Each year group makes outside visits to places linked to the topics they are studying and there is a thriving History Club which is open to all girls.

We also have our own website created by the History Club which gives students help with their work. Click on the link to visit the History Club website