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
• Weimar Germany and the Rise of Hitler
• The Holocaust

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.

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.

Entry requirements: Grade 5 or better in IGCSE English and a 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:

Course One:
The Tudors (1485-1603) and Democracy and Nazism (1918-1945). 

Course Two:
The Making of a Superpower: USA (1865-1975) and 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: Grade 5 or above in IGCSE English and a grade 5 or above 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 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.

Paper One (Standard and Higher Level): Prescribed subject 4: Rights and protest
Paper Two (Standard and Higher Level): World history topic 10: Authoritarian States (20th century)
Paper Two (Standard and Higher Level): World history topic 11: Causes and Effects of 20th Century Wars
Paper Three (Higher Level Only): 9. France 1815-1914 OR 12: Imperial Russia, revolution and the establishment of the Soviet Union (1855–1924)
Paper Three (Higher Level Only): 9.European States in the Inter-War Years (1918–1939)

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

Assessment:

Standard Level: At Standard Level pupils are assessed in two examinations sat at the end of the course. Paper One carries a value of 30%, Paper Two is worth 45% and the Internal Assessment carries a weighting of 25%.

Higher Level: At Higher Level pupils are assessed in three examinations sat at the end of the course. Paper One carries a value of 20%, Paper Two is worth 25%, Paper Three carries a weighting of 35% and the IA is worth 20%.

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 Sixth Form book club which meets once a term to read and review the latest works of historical scholarship.