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History

History aims to provide students with an understanding of the historical changes that have created the world we live in today and how and why those changes happened.

In Key Stage 3 students to study key aspects of the history of Britain and the wider world. Questions include: What was life like in Medieval Britain? What were the achievements of the Islamic Civilisations? What was the impact of the Civil War on Britain? Is it possible to really understand what it was like to be a soldier on the Western Front during World War One? How did the role of women in society change? How should we remember the Holocaust?

In Key Stage 4 History is a popular optional subject that appeals to students of all abilities. GCSE results are consistently among the highest in the school and students regularly exceed expectations.  Students study OCR’s Schools History Project (J415) which encourages them to develop both their historical skills and knowledge, and builds on the work they have completed at Key Stage 3.

Names and contact details of staff:    

Mrs J Orchard, Acting Head of Humanities, jorchard@stbedes.cambs.sch.uk
Mrs E Matthews, Teacher of History, ecleary@stbedes.cambs.sch.uk

Specialised pupil equipment required:
All students are expected to bring a minimum of pencil, pen, ruler and their history folder to every lesson. All students in KS4 are expected to bring the textbook they have been issued with to every lesson.

Course Descriptors for KS3 and KS4

Autumn Term

Year 7
1.  Introduction:  What is History?
2.  Movement, Settlement and Empire - from the Romans to the Normans
3.  Conflict:  Why did people risk their lives?  The Normal Conquest

Year 8
1.  Empire:  Why were the Europeans mad about empires?  The Spanish Empire, the British Empire, and the Slave Trade
2.  Power:  Monarchy - When and why did kings lose control?  A Civil War depth study

Year 9
1.  From Autocracy to Communism:  Russia 1900 to 1953
2.  America:  Mixed Salad or Melting Pot?  America 1900 to 2010

Year 10
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Germany 1919 - 1945

Year 11
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Medicine and Health Through Time
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Arab-Israeli Crisis

Spring Term

Year 7
1.  Power:  Could a King do whatever he liked?  King John
2.  Ordinary Life - What was it like in the Middle Ages?

Year 8
1.  Power:  Democracy - How did ordinary people win the right to vote?  French Revolution to the Chartists
2.  Conflict:  What wars should we know about?  War and Peace 1066 - 2000

Year 9
1.  Why was Obama's election so significant?  Racism and the Civil Rights Movement in America
2.  How safe have people felt since 1945?  The Cold War including Vietnam

Year 10
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Germany 1919 - 1945
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Medicine and Health Through Time

Year 11
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Arab-Israeli Crisis

Summer Term:

Year 7
1.  Ordinary Life:  What did the Industrial Revolution do for us?
2.  Movement and Settlement:  Were all emigrants brave and adventurous?

Year 8
1.  Conflict:  How have conflicts affected soldiers and civilians?  Causes and events of the First and Second World Wars, The Blitz and the Atomic Bomb

Year 9
1.  Power:  How have people campaigned for rights?  Changing role of women, Gandhi and India, Nelson Mandela and South Africa
2.  Ordinary Life:  What has had the biggest impact on improving people's lives?  The Beveridge Report, Key Inventions, Migration and Settlement

Year 10
OCR GCSE Schools History Project - Medicine and Health Through Time

Year 11
Revision and GCSE Exams

Trips Planned for this Academic Year

Year 7 - Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands
Year 8 - France and Belgium:  5 day residential visit linked to World War 1 and World War 2
Year 10 - Berlin, Wannsee and Sachsenhausen:  5 day residential visit jointly with the RE Department linked to Germany 1919 - 1945
Year 11 - Old Operating Theatre and Public Health Walk, Southawk, London

Overall Enrichment, Geography_and_History.pdf