History

Year 7

We start our journey through time looking at early migration into England, linking our study of History to the house system. Students will look at why groups migrated to England and the impact this had. Following this, students look at 1066, the last time foreign invaders successfully invaded these shores. England’s king died at the start of 1066, catapulting three men into a bloody battle to take the crown. In Year 7 we examine why William of Normandy was successful in his conquest and how he gained control over England through the use of the Feudal System and Domesday Book. Throughout the curriculum we use historical sources and interpretations to question the past. Students look at what life was like for ordinary people in medieval villages and towns, including the impact of the Black Death that wiped out nearly half of our population. In the second half of the year we are introduced to Henry VIII and his children, discovering how they plunged England into centuries of religious conflict. Did his daughter Mary deserve the title ‘Bloody’? Would his youngest daughter Elizabeth I prove people wrong and show that a woman could be strong enough to run the country? Finally, students revisit the theme of migration and consolidate their understanding of how historical interpretations are created through their study of Black Tudors using the work of Miranda Kaufmann.

Year 8

Picking up from the mess left by Henry and his Tudor family, the Stuarts have an even more turbulent time ruling England and in year 8 we discover how one king literally lost his head over the troubles. We will evaluate the events leading up to the execution of Charles I, as the country was plunged into a civil war where brother fought brother and fathers fought against their sons. Was England better off under a man who banned Christmas? Students then build on their understanding of migration between 1500-1900 through the case studies of individuals and families who created everlasting changes. Following this, students examine Britain’s role in a changing world via the story of the Industrial Revolution which allowed Britain to become the most powerful nation in the world, with an Empire that covered a third of the globe. They will also develop their understanding of historiography through their study of African Kingdoms, the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Abolition and the fight for equality. The role and status of women changed dramatically in the years that followed the Industrial Revolution, as the suffragettes shook up the powers that be with a number of illegal but eye-catching activities. Were they right to break the law to gain publicity and force progress? Did it really make a difference that Emily Davison gave her life to further the cause of women, throwing herself under the King’s horse at The Derby?

Year 9

Students begin Year 9 looking at Whitechapel and how historians have changed the narrative around conditions for women at this time and migrant groups.        Students will also explore how policing changed during the 1800-1900 with a focus on improvements that were made as a result of the Jack the Ripper investigation. Next, we move on to look at World War I. The ‘Great War’, as it eventually became known, was expected to be ‘over by Christmas’ but within the four-year conflict over 16 million people were to lose their lives. We will use a range of historical sources, photos, diaries and poetry, to evaluate what life was like on the Western Front, living in trenches under constant bombardment, surrounded by rats, lice and worse. Students have the opportunity to visit Ypres for the day to gain an insight into Belgium’s experience of the wars. World War Two followed within a generation and the first ‘total war’ that brought in every aspect of society changed the lives of citizens on the Home Front came under attack, as well as the armed forces. Under the cover of the war, Hitler was able to implement his Final Solution to the ‘Jewish Problem’. We will investigate this through the eyes of individuals who lived through humanity’s darkest days. The year culminates with post-1945 Britain.

Year 10

Students start their GCSE journey in year 10 by travelling back to 1920s Germany where they will investigate how democracy failed, ready for Hitler and his Nazi Party to take over the country and plunge the world into a war that cost over 50 million lives. For this paper students build on all they have learnt about sources and interpretations.

Students then focus on, “The nearest we have ever been to the end of the world”. That’s how many historians describe the Cold War. Without the threat of Hitler to unite them, The United States and the Soviet Union embarked on a 50-year ideological war with hotspots in Berlin and Cuba.

Year 11

Retracing their understanding back to Year 7, students deepen their knowledge of Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest. Here students look at society and power during the reign of Edward the Confessor and his rivals, the Godwin family. Then, in 1066 everything changes after William of Normandy is victorious in battle at Hastings and sought to gain complete control of England.

They then track one aspect of history through time – Crime and Punishment – looking at how this has changed over the past thousand years and ending with an in-depth investigation into the Jack the Ripper murders of 1888. Who was he? Why wasn’t he caught?