History

In Year 9, pupils at Gresham’s study key events of the last century with an enquiry focus of how the Twentieth Century should be best remembered. For some pupils this may well be their first experience of studying History as a discrete subject and so to an extent we revisit some of the core skills we would anticipate historians at this level to have. We strive, by the end of Year 9, to have exposed students to genuine historical enquiries, the complexities of evidence handling and the structuring of extended written work so that they would be well served should they continue their studies at GCSE.

• The Great War – with a particular focus on medicine on the Western Front
• Revolutionary Decades
• The challenges of the 21^st century

Exam board: Edexcel

The GCSE History course we offer is the Edexcel specification. The course focuses on the development of Medicine in Britain from c. 1250 to the Present Day and Anglo- Saxon and Norman England. It also looks at the development of Communism in Russia 1917-1941 and the impact this had upon American-Soviet Relations during the Cold War after 1945. In this respect it marries the best of the previous SHP curriculum with the exciting and dramatic events of the Twentieth Century. This is a truly exciting specification which allows a focus on breadth and depth!

All classes study the following topics:

Superpower Relations and the Cold War: 1941-1991

The course focuses on a substantial and coherent medium timespan of at least 50 years and requires pupils to understand the unfolding narrative of substantial developments and issues associated with the Cold War period. This involves focusing on the origins of East-West rivalry, Berlin in 1961, Cuba in 1962, Czechoslovakia in 1968, détente, the ‘New Cold War’ and the dramatic events in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1989-1991.

Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c. 1060 – 1088

This depth study focuses upon late Anglo-Saxon England, the subsequent Norman invasion and the immediate repercussions in terms of social, economic, political, religious and military impact. It requires pupils to study the origins of the Conquest and then the consolidation of Norman rule. Resistance to Norman rule, such as that of Hereward the Wake, is also covered.

Medicine in Britain, c1250-Present Day

The Medicine thematic study requires pupils to understand change and continuity across a broad sweep of history, including the most significant characteristics of different ages from the medieval to modern periods. Pupils will examine when and why ideas concerning the origins of disease and the methods of treatment changed over time.

Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-1941

This unit focuses on the collapse of the Russian Monarchy and the reasons for the Bolshevik seizure of power in the second of two revolutions in 1917. The nature of Bolshevik rule under Lenin and the subsequent Civil War is then covered in depth. In addition, pupils will examine the reasons for Stalin’s rise to power and the nature of his rule up to the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.

Assessment:

Pupils will face three examinations at the end of the course.

• Paper One (Medicine in Britain) carries a weighting of 30% of the final GCSE Grade and involves the analysis of contemporary sources.
• Paper Two comprises of two units (Anglo-Saxon and Norman England and Superpower Relations and the Cold War) and carries a weighting of 40% of the final grade.
• Paper Three (Russia and the Soviet Union) is worth the remaining 30% of the GCSE grade and involves analysis of contemporary sources and historical interpretations.

These four topics are fascinating in themselves but in the process of studying them pupils will acquire important skills of analysis. These include the ability to explain cause and consequence, assess change, structure arguments, and to present and justify judgements. Pupils will also acquire the ability to synthesise, cross-reference and critically evaluate historical sources and representations.

Exam board: AQA

Entry requirements: Grade 5 or better in GCSE History would be preferred. What is essential is enthusiasm, commitment, enjoyment of reading and a genuine interest in the subject.

History degrees leave open many careers pathways including the law, administration, journalism, the civil service, general management, banking, marketing, accountancy and the commercial sector. Employers continue to value the literary, analytical and linguistic skills with which strong pupils of History are endowed. History remains a popular and competitive subject for a university degree, and OGs are, or have, recently read History at the following universities: Aberdeen, Bangor, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, Essex, Exeter, Leeds, Oxford, Newcastle, Sussex, Warwick and the UEA. In the past decade, half a dozen pupils have read History at Oxford or Cambridge.

History remains very well respected as a qualification because it requires effective oral and written communication and the ability to synthesise, analyse and evaluate demanding material.

There are two courses offered at Gresham’s:

1C The Tudors: England, 1485–1603 & 2O Democracy and Nazism: Germany, 1918–1945

Or

1K The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975 & 2B The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499

All pupils undertake a Historical Investigation on EITHER The Development of African American Civil Rights 1863-1965 OR the British Empire and slavery 1730-1838.

Assessment:

The course consists of two linear examinations, sat at the end of two years. Each is worth 40% of the A level Grade. The remaining 20% is based upon the Historical Investigation, which is internally marked and externally moderated.

Entry requirements: A Grade 5 or better in GCSE History would be preferred. What is essential is enthusiasm, commitment, and enjoyment of reading and a genuine interest in the subject.

History degrees leave open many careers pathways including the law, administration, journalism, the civil service, general management, banking, marketing, accountancy and the commercial and creative sectors. Employers continue to value the literary, analytical and linguistic skills with which strong pupils of History are endowed. History remains a popular and competitive subject for a university degree and OGs are or have recently read History at the following universities: Aberdeen, Bangor, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, Essex, Exeter, Leeds, Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Sussex, Warwick and the UEA. In the past decade, half a dozen pupils have read History at Oxford or Cambridge.

History remains very well respected as a qualification because it requires effective oral and written communication and the ability to synthesise, analyse and evaluate demanding material.

There is a new IB History course for first teaching in 2026, the full specification of which will be confirmed in February 2026.

Paper 1 (HL and SL) – Focused Studies – one of the following options to be studied:

• Independence and Identity
• Political and Economic Transitions
• Conflict and Displacement
• Climate and Innovation
• Protest and Change

Paper 2 (HL and SL) – Thematic Studies – one of the following options to be studied:

• Conflict (from 750 CE)
• Innovation and Transformation (from 750 CE)
• Authoritarian Rule (from 1750 CE)
• Popular Movements (from 1750 CE)

Paper 3 (HL only) – Regional Studies (HL only) – one of the following regions will be studied:

• Africa & the Middle East
• The Americas
• Asia & Oceania
• Europe

All pupils undertake an Internal Assessment on an enquiry of their choosing.

Assessment:

SL Assessment (from 2028)
Paper 1 (30%) — Source-based focused study
Paper 2 (40%) — Thematic analysis and conceptual essays
Internal Assessment (30%) — Individual historical investigation

HL Assessment (from 2028)
Paper 1 (20%) — Source analysis
Paper 2 (25%) — Conceptual and thematic evaluation
Paper 3 (35%) — Two regional essays
Internal Assessment (20%) — Extended inquiry project

The History Department at Gresham’s is committed to presenting pupils with a raft of opportunities to pursue the subject beyond the walls of the classroom and is constantly looking to create new experiences to complement the units we deliver. All Year 9 pupils are given the opportunity to tour the battlefields of the Great War. We participate in online academic conferences and hold regular competitions. We have a student-run History Society with presentations, discussions and quizzes which meets on Tuesday evenings twice a term.