History

Section 1: Principles at Key Stage 3

History at Judgemeadow in KS3 is used to teach the students to critically analyse events, text and sources and then to explain through writing extended answers, expressing their ideas, and supporting with valid evidence. For this reason the events of 1066 are perfect for students to develop an understanding of different points of view, provenance of sources and to explain why things happened.

We want to enthuse and engage students so that they gain a love of the subject and the desire to take their studies beyond the classroom. It is impossible to teach every aspect of History so the topics are ones that we believe will achieve this aim. Without a grasp of History and personal motivation we cannot expect students to understand UK current affairs and global events. For example, an understanding of the Industrial Revolution and how this concept has been exported beyond our shores will help people to appreciate the human impact on climate change.

In Year 7 we carry out a study of 1066 and then the impact of Norman control of England. This is followed by a look at medieval life and the balance of power between church and state. Students will then study cultures and societies beyond England’s shores, looking at the Islamic world and African kingdoms. In Year 8 we teach the Tudors and Stuarts looking at the events that led to the creation of a Parliamentary democracy, such as the English Civil War.  We follow this with a unit on the impact of the Slave trade on Africa, Europe and the Americas. Finally, the students will learn about the campaigns for women’s suffrage in the early 20^th century. In Year 9 we move further into the 20^th century, studying the causes and events of the two World Wars and the Holocaust. Subsequently the students will study post-war social issues such as the battle for Civil Rights in the UK and USA.

Section 2: Connectedness (linking and co-ordinating)

We have a five-year curriculum and teach students the skills necessary to succeed in KS4 throughout KS3. These skills are also important life-skills. The assessment model includes formative tasks and summative assessments to help students prepare for questions that they encounter in KS4, but also to help them build their skills as historians.

Some areas of study from KS3 are useful for topics in KS4 but not essential. Our KS4 Crime & Punishment unit benefits from a recall of medieval England (Year 7), political changes during the Stuart monarchy (Year 8) and social changes during the Industrial Revolution (Year 8).

Our teaching groups in KS3 and KS4 are mixed ability so every student is given the same opportunity to succeed. There are no tiers of entry so all will need to tackle the same questions and master the same skills.

The core principles underpinning the Edexcel KS4 course are to provide a curriculum that “will engage students with a broad and diverse study of the history of Britain and the wider world and give them skills that will support progression to further study of history and a wide range of other subjects”.

There are four units in the GCSE syllabus. Each was chosen to complement topics taught in KS3 and KS4. For the Thematic study we teach “Crime & Punishment in Britain, c1000-present” There are cross curricular links with Religious Studies regarding debates around the death penalty. For the British depth study we adopted “Henry VIII & his Ministers, 1509-40” as again we saw this as the most interesting and accessible. Students will have familiarity with the context of Tudor England from the Year 7 topic. The Modern depth study, Russia and the USSR, 1917-41 links directly to the Period study; Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91.

Section 3: five year impact

We want to enthuse and engage students so that they gain a love of the subject and the desire to take their studies beyond the classroom. It is impossible to teach every aspect of History so the topics are ones that we believe will achieve this aim

We cannot teach every important event in British or world history, we choose key turning points, such as the events of 1066 and the Industrial Revolution, where students can see real change and understand the causes and consequences of it.

Section 4: Teaching and Learning

At both KS3 and KS4 the History curriculum is ‘knowledge rich’. Students are required to learn, process, recall and deploy factual detail in order to support longer written responses. We use KS3 to embed skill and familiarity with exam style questions in order to prepare students for KS4. In line with whole school priorities we have incorporated many of the “Effective Learning Strategies” into our lessons at KS3 and KS4 to effectively prepare students to commit the necessary factual details to their long-term memories. Most of question/assessment types are scaffolded and modelled for students to understand their complexities at KS3. This practice continues, in more depth, at KS4. Feedback for formally assessed work is targeted and the department follows the college procedures on the ‘green-pen improvements’.

We have been using retrieval practice for many years. There are multiple examples of low stakes quizzes across both key stages. These tests are repeated with students to embed key facts/dates and names which are essential if students are to access the higher levels on assessments. Shorter retrieval practice is used in many areas to review students’ understanding of previously taught issues and to address misconceptions. The use of concrete examples to illustrate concepts has always been intrinsic to the teaching History, a knowledge rich subject. At KS3 students are given key history words to learn each year.

Dual Coding is also used to support our students. At KS4 we have timelines for each unit allowing the students to create a chronological view of the curriculum. These are coded to also allow students to see the impact of particular issues, locations or people across the units. For example the Henry VIII timeline includes codes for students to see issues relating to the reformation and others to see issues related to the succession.

What parents can do to help

• Parents can help support learning by discussing and monitoring pupils’ homework
• Quizzing and testing of students on their knowledge of key words and topics studied – students will conduct short quizzes in class throughout the year
• Encourage the students to read at home. High levels of literacy are the keys to accessing History. These books do not necessarily have to be History related.

curriculum overview

year 7
Term	Topic
Autumn 1	What is History? Introduction with a focus on local history. 1066: the succession crisis and Battle of Hastings
Autumn 2	Norman England: Castles, feudal system,
Spring	Medieval life Islamic World in the medieval period
Summer 1	African kingdoms
Summer 2	Tudor England

year 8
Term	Topic
Autumn 1	Elizabeth I
Autumn 2	17th century England, including the Civil Wars
Spring	Industrial Revolution
Summer 1	The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Summer 2	Women’s Suffrage

year 9
Term	Topic
Autumn 1	The First World War
Autumn 2	The Rise of the European dictators; Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin
Spring	The Second World War
Summer 1	The Holocaust
Summer 2	Civil Rights and the UK and USA

year 10
Term	Unit	Topic
Autumn 1	British Depth Study:Henry VIII and his Ministers, 1509-40	Henry VIII & Wolsey, 1509-29
Autumn 2	British Depth Study: Henry VIII and his Ministers, 1509-40	Henry VII & Cromwell, 1529-40 The Reformation & its impact, 1529-40 (cont.)
Spring 1	Modern depth Study: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41	Provisional Government Bolshevik Revolution (October Rev.) Bolshevik rule 1917-18 The Civil War, 1918-21
Spring 2	Modern depth Study: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41	Creation of the totalitarian state Economic & Social Change (War Communism/NEP) Struggle for Power, 1924-28 Use of terror in the 1930’s, propaganda & censorship Collectivisation
Summer 1 and 2	Modern depth Study: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41	5 Year plans Social Change under Stalin Period Study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91

year 11
Term	Unit	Topic
Autumn 1	Period Study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91	Cold War Crises, 1958-70 Berlin, Cuba, Czechoslovakia Arms limitation
Autumn 2	Period Study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941-91	The end of the Cold War, 1970-91 Détente, Afghanistan 1979, Carter Doctrine Reagan & the ‘Second Cold War’
Spring 1	Thematic study: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000-present	Crime and punishment in 18th and 19th century Britain, c1700-c1900
Spring 2	Thematic study: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000-present	Crime & punishment in modern Britain, c1900-present (cont.)
Summer	EXAMS