History

Key Stage 3

History in Key Stage 3 provides students with a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. Students are encouraged to understand the complexity of different issues whilst developing a critical, analytical approach to key events and developments.

The teaching of History at Nicholas Breakspear provides students with a secure chronological understanding of British history from the eleventh to the twentieth century, as well as some key developments from world history. Key themes are also developed through Key Stage 3 to encourage students to see links and patterns between different time periods.

In line with the National Curriculum, the teaching of History at Nicholas Breakspear aims to ensure that all students:

• know and understand the history of Britain, understanding how people’s lives have shaped the country and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world
• gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of key vocabulary
• understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically valid questions and create their own structured accounts
• understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts: understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales

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  Key Stage 4

  GCSE History builds on the knowledge gained at Key Stage 3 as well as introducing a number of other key topics. GCSE History further develops the ability to analyse and evaluate the significance of past events, and develop an understanding of key historical concepts such as cause and consequence.

  It also further develops skills in debating, analysing, justifying, and reading between the lines.

The course is assessed through two, two hour exams:

• Exam 1: 2 hours (The Elizabethan Age – 1 hour, The USA – 1 hour)
• Exam 2: 2 hours (Crime and Punishment – 1 hour 15 minutes, Germany – 45 minutes)

• https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/history/

  Exam board: Eduqas

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  Key Stage 5

  In years 12 and 13 students study with the exam board Edexcel. Students follow route F (searching for rights and freedom in the 20th century) and study:

• In search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917-96 (2 hour 15 minute exam)
• South Africa, 1948-94: from apartheid state to ‘rainbow nation.’ (1 hour 30 minute exam)
• Tudor England (2 hour 15 minute exam)
• Causes of the Cold War (4,000 word essay)

• The exams consist of essays which are either knowledge based or involve interpretation of sources.

  For further information regarding the specification and example exams please follow the link:

  https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/history-2015.html