History - KS4 - GCSE

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Curriculum Year 10 / Year 11

Assessment

Supporting your child

Extended learning

Exam Board and Course Code

Pupils will follow the AQA History GCSE course https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/gcse/history-8145

Curriculum

10	What students will learn	How it builds on learning
	The Norman conquest and its impact on Britain.	This option allows students to study in depth the arrival of the Normans and the establishment of their rule. The in depth study will focus on major aspects of Norman rule, considered from economic, religious, political, social and cultural standpoints of this period and arising contemporary and historical controversies.
	Power and the People– a story of power and protest from Medieval to Twentieth Century.	This thematic study will enable students to gain an understanding of the development of the relationship between the citizen and the state in Britain over a long period of time. It considers the causes, scale, nature and consequences of protest to that relationship. By charting the journey from feudalism and serfdom to democracy and equality, it reveals how, in different periods, the state responds to challenges to its authority and their impact.
11	What students will learn	How it builds on learning
	The Cold War in Asia (including the Vietnam War) from 1950 to 1975.	This wider world depth study enables students to understand the complex and diverse interests of different states and individuals and the ideologies they represented. It considers the role of nationalist movements in causing and sustaining conflict. It focuses on the causes and events of the Cold War in Asia and seeks to show how and why conflict occurred and why it proved difficult to resolve the tensions which arose.
	The making of the USA from 1840 to 1895.	This period of study focuses on the development of America during a turbulent half century of change. It was a period of expansion and consolidation – the expansion to the west and consolidation of the United States as a nation. Students will study the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of these two developments and the role ideas played in bringing about change.

Assessment

Students will be assessed through two examinations, weighted at 50% each and requiring students to answer questions from their own knowledge and in response to source material. Each exam will be 2 hours in length and will take place during the summer exam period in Year 11.

Supporting your child

What you can do at home:

We encourage pupils to discuss ideas that they have studied in lesson time at home. We would also encourage you to ask your child about what they have studied in History as this will enrich the discursive element of the subject. Additional reading lists are also made available to pupils at the beginning of a scheme of work that include novels, online texts and suitable films to watch to acquire more knowledge of specific topics studied. All students are encouraged to borrow books from both the school library and our own History class libraries. Additionally, all pupils should try to watch or access international, national and local news in some form at least once a week to help them develop an understanding of the historical issues that influence the way we live our lives today.

Extended learning

Homework policy:

Homework will be set regularly. This will be a combination of flipped learning to prepare pupils for work in lessons and consolidation of previously learned material. Pupils will need to retain a wide range of key information over the course due to the particular knowledge demand in History, and it is strongly recommended that pupils review what they have studied in History briefly at the end of each week. All pupils are encouraged to borrow books from both the school library and our own History class libraries.

Clubs/ Enrichment opportunities:

There are a variety of enrichment opportunities available for students with an interest in History. These include a lunch time reading club, public lectures, and a new afterschool archaeology club. 

Extended study suggestions and reading lists:

Additional reading lists are also made available to pupils at the beginning of a scheme of work that include novels, online texts and suitable films to watch to acquire more knowledge of specific topics studied. All students are encouraged to borrow books from both the school library and our own History class libraries. Additionally, all pupils should try to watch or access international, national and local news in some form at least once a week to help them develop an understanding of the historical issues that influence the way we live our lives today. We also suggest watching one of our pre-recorded History lectures: https://www.cambournevc.org/news-and-events/historic-all

Possible trips and visits:

Every year the History department look for opportunities for trips and visits for students studying History GCSE. In the past this has included a trip to the National Archives in London and a one-day visit to the World War One battlefields in France. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities!

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