Our history curriculum ensures that all students are exposed to a wealth of knowledge of British and world history, and ensures that pupils can develop and deploy historical skills to help them understand the diverse world around them.
We commit to building our students’ historical knowledge. Students develop a good understanding of chronology and how different events are connected, as well as the impact of such events. Students learn about diverse people, cultures, time periods and types of history. We don’t shy away from challenging topics. Students take away concrete examples to support abstract concepts and use within their writing.
We teach our students what it means to be an historian. We teach the second order concepts (for example chronology, change and continuity, causation and consequence, significance, similarity and difference, and source and interpretation analysis) in a consistent way, ensuring students have plenty of time and practice to develop these skills in their writing and oracy. History is about uncovering truth. Through exposure to historical sources and interpretations, the analytical skills that develop over the course of the curriculum help students assess truth, accuracy and value from their perspective and that of others.
Our history curriculum builds our students’ cultural capital. By linking history to the modern day, students can begin to understand why the world is the way it is.
Year 7
Our Year 7 history curriculum is grounded in the medieval period, before focusing on the European Renaissance. To support our students’ chronological understanding, the Year 7 curriculum starts with an in-depth study of England in 1066 and the eventual conquest of the Normans. Through this study, students are exposed to second order concepts such as government and authority, and war and invasion. As part of our review of the curriculum, Year 7 students also focus on Constantinople and Baghdad in the 11th Century. This allows students to compare England to developed Eastern nations. This broadens their worldview, showing the interconnectedness between different parts of the world. Students gain significant contextual and foundational knowledge about Christianity and Islam for later in the academic year when they study the Crusades. Students then focus on practising the historical skill of significance through learning about Medieval England and challenges to Medieval kings. Towards the end of Year 7, students learn about change and continuity from the medieval period to the Renaissance period and the impact of the European Reformation.
Year 8
Year 7 learning on the impact of the European Reformation is then continued in Year 8 when students study the causes of the English Reformation followed by its impact and consequences. Students then practise the historical skill of change and continuity through learning about the extent of religious change under the Tudors. Students examine the causes and impact of the English Civil War. Chronologically, students learn how and why the British Empire emerged, starting with the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The study highlights the establishment of an industrial system, which dehumanised people to benefit Britain. Links between the slave trade routes and the scale and success of the Industrial Revolution are made clear and further developed in Year 8, when students study the Industrial Revolution. Students analyse the main cause of the abolition of slavery before learning about the colonisation and decolonisation of other colonies around the world. Students also analyse the significance and extent of reforms during the Industrial period.
Year 9
Students begin Year 9 learning about the causes of the First World War by analysing the long-term, short-term and trigger causes. They then study trench warfare and the reasons why the First World War came to an end. Students then learn about a new enquiry about how dictators emerged in the 20th Century through the case studies of communism in the USSR and the Nazi Party in Germany. Students then learn about the causes of the Second World War and the significance of learning about the Holocaust. Towards the end of Year 9, students learn about post-war Britain by looking at the emergence of the NHS, immigration, British black civil rights, and political change in the 1970s and 1980s.
Year 10
In Year 10, students learn about the development of the USA (1929-2000), the Elizabethan Age (1559-1603), and Germany in transition (1918-1939). Students use lots of sources and interpretations to learn about these topics.
Year 11
In Year 11, students learn about changes in Health and Medicine (c. 500 to the present day). Students learn about the changes of health and medicine through a number of themes, such as causes, prevention, treatment, medical knowledge, patient care and public health. They also study a new environmental case study about the changes to patient care in Scutari Hospital during the Crimean War, and the long-term significance of these changes on patient care in Britain.
Key Stage 5
In Key Stage 5, pupils develop highly sought after and transferable skills in history. These include being able to communicate complex ideas effectively, the ability to research, analyse and evaluate information both orally and in writing, and the capacity to make substantiated judgements – all whilst developing independent work skills. Students study two units: 16th Century Tudor England and the Cold War of the 20th Century. Both are studied in chorological order. Students analyse both sources and interpretations. They also learn how to write an academic essay through coursework on the British welfare state.