History
“Any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it.”
Oscar Wilde.
History is an essential part of the balanced, broad and relevant curriculum. It stimulates students' curiosity about the way of life of people living in the past, in the local area, in Britain and in the wider world. By engaging with the past students develop their understanding of the characteristic features and diversity of British society and of the range of societies, political structures, cultures and beliefs that influenced the actions of people in the past. Students develop their individual and collective sense of identity and learn to appreciate the diversity of human experience, by understanding and valuing their own and others' inheritance. The acquisition of an historical perspective is a valuable asset to understanding the present. Historical understanding informs our questions, judgements and decisions about contemporary human actions and events and future possibilities.
Skills of historical enquiry and communication are essential components in developing an appreciation of the nature of evidence. Students develop their ability to use the distinctive, disciplined, problem solving methods of historians through a range of critical enquiry, thinking and communication skills. History emphasises the value of rational explanation and is a vital element in assisting the development of enquiring and disciplined minds in young people. Moreover, History stimulates and arouses interest in the past in its own right and as a source of curiosity and imaginative involvement.
History can support understanding in other curriculum areas by providing a context and perspective for study and by providing specialist skills to allow this to take place.
Curriculum Aims
1. to interest and motivate students by means of:
- Using the experience of the student;
- interesting and relevant content;
- varied teaching methods and materials;
- teacher enthusiasm.
2. to promote knowledge and understanding of what happened in the past;
3. to teach a range of historical concepts and skills:
- cause, consequence and motivation
- continuity, change and development over time
- empathy with the values, feelings and perspective of people in the past
- awareness of the role of the individual in history.
- field work and on-site investigation, in its historical context
- use of supportive evidence and confirming its' validity
4. to enable students, within their potential, to become historians - to gain experience of historical enquiry, narrative, analysis, questioning, opinion-forming, problem-solving and presentation of their findings
5. to demonstrate the importance and continued relevance of the past to the events, values and beliefs of today - in particular, to use the past as an example, so as to recommend to the students such personal qualities as honesty and concern for others, forethought and self-discipline, tolerance and open-mindedness;
6. To help the students to succeed in their studies and, should they wish, to pass at GCSE level.
A curriculum plan will be prepared to create a coherent and successful course in History which meets the needs of all students and satisfies all of the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum and GCSE.
Assessment
- Careful thought is given to the purpose of assessment, adopting a wide range of methods to reflect the History Curriculum and learning opportunities.
- Formative assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process, a valuable formative tool. Throughout the course of KS3 students will do a number of different pieces of assessment work (with one per term), addressing the main key processes of the new 1-9 GCSE.
- At KS4 students will complete past paper questions at the end of units and in line with prelim testing across the school.
- The outcome of assessment can modify teaching methods, provide feedback on the New 1-9 as well as indicate student progress.
- We recognise the potential for assessment in developing a positive self-image in the student from positive and constructive feedback and the feeling of success which encourages further study.
- Teachers in the department use a common framework for marking work that is fully understood by all the team. (ACT)
- Results of assessment are reported in a way useful for student, teacher, parents and other interested parties.
- Assessment gradually introduced on different feedback sheets for each student to understand the progression.
- Students are asked to reflect on prior targets and put them into action using an assessment journal to map their progress between units.
Grouping
KS3: Students are taught in mixed ability groups up to 30
KS4: the majority of students are taught in mixed ability sets. Some students are supported in their learning by working in a smaller set to help learning needs.
Homework
Homework is set to:
- Encourage independent learning
- Increase individual personal responsibility
- Improve organisational skills
- Increase understanding of lessons taught
- Consolidate, or extend class work
- Anticipate future topics
- Free time to pursue national curriculum schemes of work
- Give opportunities to practice skills
Homework is set weekly and recorded by the student and the teacher via google classroom and class charts.
KS3 Homework: Assignments will be set which are a mixture of knowledge-based tasks, which include retrieval, pre-teaching and research and skill-based tasks which will enable students to work on application of knowledge through working through historical questions and application.
KS4 Homework:
Year 9 students will be given weekly homework tasks to help them improve their knowledge or application of the subject.
Year 10 and 11 students will be given ownership of their own learning by being given a choice of homework assignment. Each week students will be set either a knowledge or a skills task.
Knowledge tasks: include opportunities to enrich and improve understanding of the topics through retrieval activities and varied technologies.
Skills tasks: include a focus on exam techniques with students using homework booklets to complete exam questions whilst being supported by video tutorials and scaffolds.
Staffing
- Mrs. M Wilkinson (SLL)
- Dr. C Burnham Teacher of History
- Miss. H Clarke
- Mr. A Woolnough
- Ms. G Hartnell Teacher of History and RE and Head of Year
Enrichment / extra curricular
Trips and Visits: Students can opt into numerous extra-curricular excursions from visits to London, Theatre Trips and a residential to Belgium to visit World War One sites. These run across both KS3 and KS4.
Revision and Support: Students can access after school sessions in year 11 to support revision of key parts of the GCSE. Additionally, all sessions are recorded and put onto the google classroom to help those that cannot make the sessions.
The department run a variety of Webinars and exam workshops to support GCSE students.
Enrichment: There is a History trailblazers club on a Thursday lunchtime.
