History Department

Ethos

The courses are very popular and successful. The elements are chosen to stimulate students and enable them to succeed. The students are encouraged to enquire into an important historical question and show their findings through a written essay or a presentation to class.

The key questions are:

• What caused something to happen?
• What changed over a period of time?
• What evidence is there to support our findings?

Courses

Key Stage 3:

• Empires: Roman Empire; Islamic Empire; British Empire
• Events: Civil War; French Revolution: First World War: Second World War
• Themes: Civilisation; Industrialisation; Modernisation
• Individuals: Caesar; William the Conquerer; Elizabeth 1; Cromwell; Napoleon: Hitler

Key Stage 4

• First World War – Battle of the Somme
• Germany- the rise and rule of the Nazis
• USA and popular culture – the impact of Elvis Presley
• Medicine through Time – from the Ancient World to the Present.

Key Stage 5

A Level History

• Events: The Russian Revolution; the rise and rule of the Nazis
• Movements: Chartism
• Individuals: Robert Peel
• Themes: the development of democracy

A Level Politics

• Institutions: parliament; cabinet; European Union
• Influences: emergencies: pressure groups: elections
• Ideas: conservatism; socialism; liberalism; nationalism; feminism; anarchism

A Level Law

• Sources of law: courts, parliament, Europe
• People in Law: judges; magistrates, solicitors, barristers
• Types of law: criminal; tort; contract; consumer
• Purpose of law: morality; justice;

Events and services

• Visits to places of historical interest e.g First World War battlefields; Public Record Office and Imperial War Museum
• History clubs
• Revision clubs and coursework clinics