Gaynes School Language College
History
Curriculum
Aims:
'Those who know no history remain forever a child.'
Cicero
'Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.'
H.G Wells
The overriding aims of the History Department are to inspire a love of history in our students and an appreciation of its importance. Thereafter, we aim to develop in them the skills necessary to enjoy the subject to its full and to maximise their potential in it. Enjoyment and achievement go hand in hand and it is certainly our aim that all who wish to study History at 'the next level', be that GCSE, A level, university or just as a post school hobby are able to do so and that they achieve the highest standards of which they are capable.
Why study History?
Apart from being extremely enjoyable and enabling students to learn about the past and come to a better understanding of the present, history provides students with skills that will be of value in life. In learning to absorb, analyse and assess a wide variety of viewpoints, in learning to express argument in oral and written form, and in learning to think and work both independently and in co-operation with others, students of history acquire skills which employers in all fields recognise.
KS3 students study different themes at different levels
Year 7 topics include the following:
- Introduction to History Overview
- Invaders, effect of Romans on Britain
- The impact of the Norman Conquest
- Life in the medieval village
- King John
- Impact of Islam in the Middle Ages
Year 8 topics include the following
- Changes in Religion in the 16th Century
- Civil War
- The Plague
- Great Fire of London
- Slavery and Middle Passage
- Life for factory workers
Year 9 topics include the following
- World War One and Trench Warfare
- America in the 1920s
- Why did World War Two start?
- Life in the 1930s and 1940s
- The Holocaust
- Popular culture of the 20th Century
- The role of the individual in the 20th Century
At KS4 History remains a popular option choice for students. The GCSE Edexcel History A Syllabus Depth Study focuses on Russia 1917-1939 whilst the Outline Study concentrates on the Cold War 1943-91. The Sources Enquiry section of the exam concentrates on Britain 1931-1951 and the Controlled Assessment unit is on the Vietnam War.