History

Course: History

Level: GCSE

Course Content

GCSE History provides a sense of the past and an awareness of different values, systems and societies. It encourages students to learn lessons from the past and consider them in shaping the future.

This course allows students to take a closer look at important national and international events over the last millennium. Going beyond the simple learning of dates and events, we look at how major events and the people of past societies have shaped our modern world. The new GCSE spec covers a wide range of historical enquiry questions and covers a much wider range of National and International events over the past 2000 years.

Assessment

History is now entirely examination based (no coursework) and all exams are sat at the end of Year 11.

Paper 1 (30% of the final GCSE grade and the exam is 1 hour 15 minutes): Medicine Through Time 1250-present day, with case study of treatments in British trenches during WW1.

Students will examine the developments in medicine (1250AD to the modern day),  looking at the developments in surgery, the treatment of disease, the nature and cause of unhealthy living in Britain and the medical care given to the sick. They will also study, through sources, how the trenches in WW1 led to developments in treating injuries.

Paper 2 (40% of the final GCSE grade and the exam is 1 hour 45 minutes): Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest, and Superpower Relations 1941-91.

Students will look at how England was governed and how, again, this impacted on people’s lives. They will then examine how, if any, changes were brought by the coming of the Normans. The period study is Superpower Relations 1941-91. This looks at the changing situation in Europe and the world after World War 2. It looks at changing ideological differences and the impact that had on civilians. Students will also examine key events that brought the world to a nuclear standstill such as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Paper 3 (30% of the final GCSE grade and the exam is 1 hour 20 minutes): Weimar and Nazi Germany.

Students will study the origins of the Weimar government after World War 1 and the reasons for its downfall. They will also examine the rise of the Nazi party, and what it was like to live under Hitler’s rule.

Progression

History helps you to develop highly adaptable skills that employers highly regard e.g. analysis, evaluation and interpretation skills.

Students can progress to study History at A level and examples of careers which past history students have gone into include:

Journalism                                                             Teaching                                                Uniformed services

Recruitment                                                          Tour guide                                             Law

Advertising                                                            Government careers                          Media careers

 

Student Video

Teacher Video