History

History at Sandringham is focused on not only equipping students with high-level evaluative and analytical skills, but also on providing them with a clear and coherent narrative of British, European, and World History.

As a department of dedicated historians, we have the following aims and ambitions for our students:

To foster inquisitiveness, to inspire intellectual curiosity, and cultivate a love of the study of History.
To equip students with a coherent narrative of British, European, and World History, based around a well-sequenced and inclusive curriculum.
To develop an understanding of key historical concepts: change, continuity, causation, consequence, and significance.
To develop mastery of key historical skills: enquiry, interpretation, use of evidence, application of knowledge, communication, and construction of supported arguments.
To develop a rich body of knowledge of key historical events, significant developments, and important themes in history.

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 History is taught in mixed ability sets for one hour a week. The curriculum provides an excellent grounding in the subject. An innovative, thematic approach has been adopted, allowing students to appreciate change over time and compare and contrast periods, whilst having a chronological understanding.

Year 7: ‘Society, Religion, and Power in the Medieval World, 1066-1509’

The Norman Conquest
Medieval England: society and religion
Medieval World: the Islamic Empire
Medieval Monarchs: conflict and crisis
Medieval Africa

Year 8: ‘Reform, revolution, and empire, 1509-1901’

Religious change in Early Modern Europe
The English Civil War and Enlightenment
Origins of Empire and the abolition of the slave trade
The Age of Revolutions: the American and French Revolutions
The impact of the British Empire: India depth study

Year 9: ‘Conflict, crisis, and change in Europe and the wider world, 1901-present.’

The causes and events of the First World War
Life in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust
The Second World War
Post-war international depth studies: India and South Africa
Social change in post-war Britain

Key Stage 4

GCSE History covers some of the most significant and exciting events in British, European, and American history. The course develops the ability to analyse and evaluate the significance of past events, and develops an understanding of key historical concepts such as cause and consequence.

History develops skills in debating, analysing, justifying, and reading between the lines: skills that are highly prized by universities and employers alike. Studying History gives you the power to ask questions of the past, in order to understand the world we live in today.

The Cold War:

A study in depth that examines the main events of the most tense and exciting years of the twentieth century and includes the Cuban Missile Crisis, the nuclear ‘Arms Race’, and the Berlin Wall.

Weimar and Nazi Germany:

A study in depth of one of the most notorious – and fascinating – periods in European History. The topic includes the rise to power of the Nazi Party, life in Nazi Germany, Hitler’s leadership style, and the Holocaust.

Crime and Punishment:

A gruesome study of how crime and punishment has changed from medieval to modern times. The topic includes an in-depth look at crime in White Chapel (London) at the time of Jack the Ripper!

Anglo-Saxon and Norman England:

A study of one of the most iconic figures in British History: William the Conqueror! The study examines his style of leadership, how he conquered Britain, and how he remained in control of the hostile Anglo-Saxon population.

How is History GCSE assessed?

Paper 1 (30%) = Crime and Punishment – 1 hour 15 minutes

Paper 2 (40%) = The Cold War and Norman England – 1 hour 45 minutes

Paper 3 (30%) = Nazi Germany – 1 hour 20 minutes

There is no controlled assessment (coursework) in GCSE History.

Exam board: Edexcel

Key Stage 5

Unit 1:

A study in breadth – Britain Transformed: 1918-1997
A study in depth – Interpretations of Thatcher

Unit 2:

A study in depth – The USA 1955-1992: Conformity and challenge
American Civil Rights and US political history

Unit 3:

Protest, agitation, and parliamentary reform in Britain: 1780 – 1928

Unit 4:

Controlled Assessment: A study in depth which will investigate different historical perspectives on a given controversial issue. Students will study how different societies and historians, and the media have interpreted significant events and individuals.

Exam board: Edexcel

How parents/carers can support learning

Parents / carers can play a huge role in supporting the study of History. Whether at KS3 or KS4, we would encourage you to ask what is currently being studied, prompt discussions of the key issues, and take an active interest. We are happy to recommend books, films, or trips that can support each element of the History curriculum and we would suggest that you start with the Super Curriculum first.

Extra curricular actvity / trips:

Year 9: Ypres Salient and the Somme battlefields

We typically run a two-day residential trip to which is split between the Ypres Salient and the Somme region as part of our study of the First World War. Students will spend a night in Ypres and will get a chance to witness the highly memorable ‘Last Post’ at the Menin Gate.

Year 10 / 11: Berlin – Nazi and Cold War Germany

We aim to run a four-day trip to Berlin to support the study of Nazi and cold War Germany which our KS4 students undertake in Year 10 and Year 11. This is a fantastic opportunity to walk the streets of Berlin that bore witness to some of the most tumultuous decades of the twentieth century.