History

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, students in Year 7 will be introduced to the fascinating world of medieval History by exploring the dramatic and complex events of the Norman Conquest of 1066, carrying out an enquiry into how the Normans conquered England. By considering the competing claims to the throne in 1066, and evaluating the causes of the Norman victory at Hastings, students will begin to develop their evaluative skills, with a particular focus on change and continuity as we consider the impact the Conquest had on England. We also consider how London has changed over time. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Norman Conquest transformed England and laid the foundations for much of what followed during the Middle Ages. Studying the conquest enables us to begin to understand medieval attitudes towards power and authority, while getting to grips with key aspects of medieval social structure such as the feudal system and life for the peasantry. This provides pupils with a clear framework for their learning in Term 2. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

There were competing claims to the throne at the beginning of 1066 – Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada, William of Normandy. Harold Godwinson became king but faced invasions from both Harald Hardrada’s Viking army and William’s army from Normandy. Defeating the September invasion by Harald Hardrada exhausted Harold Godwinson’s army and contributed to his defeat at the Battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066 by William’s army, which included highly trained mounted knights. After the battle, William enforced his control over England using a mixture of harsh and more conciliatory tactics, building castles across England, brutally supressing rebellions and distributing land to his followers as part of a new Feudal System. The Domesday Book enabled him to gather key information about the land he had conquered, and is a key historical source for us to understand life at the time and the impact of the conquest.

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? 

The events of the Norman Conquest; reasons for Norman victory at Hastings; changes following the conquest: feudal system, Domesday book. 

What should they be able to do? 

Explain reasons for William’s victory at Hastings, evaluate how the Norman Conquest changed England.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Low-stakes testing through lessons; more formal assessment carried out next term.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, students in Year 7 will be continuing their studies of medieval History, following up on their work in term 1 on the Norman Conquest. Having seen how William the Conqueror ruled England after the Norman conquest in 1066, we take a longer view of kingship across medieval England to enable students to evaluate the process of change over time, consider the contrasting approaches to kingship of rulers such as Henry II, King John and Edward I, and build knowledge of key events such as the murder of Thomas Becket (1170) and signing of Magna Carta (1215). We follow this with a study of life in medieval England for ordinary people, considering the crucial role of the Church, the disaster of the Black Death, and what life was like for medieval peasants. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Our work in Term 2 follows closely on from Term 1’s work on the Norman Conquest, and builds in to our later work in Year 7 and beyond on concepts of power and authority over time. The changes to kingship in the Middle Ages provide important context for later developments such as the growing importance of Parliament and the events of the English Civil War, which we study later in Year 7. Magna Carta was a significant point in the development of the rule of law in Britain. Studying ordinary life provides an important point of contrast with our earlier study of those at the top of the feudal system (the monarch) and lays the foundation for our Term 3 work on the Peasants’ Revolt. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

The feudal system: King – barons/bishops – knights – peasants. Medieval kings had a lot of power, but certain key restrictions were in place on what they could do. The barons and bishops – nobility and the Church – could both cause problems for a king who failed to protect their own interests. Henry II’s arguments with the Church led to the murder of Thomas Becket in December 1170, after which Henry was punished by being whipped by the monks of Canterbury Cathedral. King John’s disagreements with both his barons and the Church led to the signing of Magna Carta in 1215, which set out theoretical limits on the powers of kings and is a foundation of our modern-day legal system, as well as a significant influence on events studied in Year 8 such as the American War of Independence and the French Revolution. Medieval peasants lived a very difficult life where famine and disease were a near-constant threat. Religion was a key aspect of medieval life, offering the promise of a better afterlife, and the Church consequently had a great deal of power. The Black Death caused extraordinary changes to life in the Middle Ages. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The core knowledge outlined above, particularly in terms of how it illustrates the changing nature of kingship and of life during the Middle Ages. 

What should they be able to do? Evaluate how far the power of kings changed across the Middle Ages, explain the importance of the medieval Church and the impact of the Black Death 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: formal assessment carried out mid-term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, students in Year 7 will conclude their work on medieval History, building on the knowledge they developed during terms 1 and 2. Our first two terms of work focused largely on big events and key individuals: the Norman Conquest, the lives of medieval kings in England and of Mansa Musa, the ruler of medieval Mali. In term 3 we take a closer look at ordinary life in England, developing a stronger understanding of what life was like for medieval peasants and how this changed following the Black Death. The most dramatic challenge to the feudal system took place in 1381 during the Peasants’ Revolt, and we use the uncertainty around what exactly happened on the final day of the revolt to introduce students to the challenges of examining original source material. We conclude the term with an introduction to the early modern period, looking ahead to our work on the Renaissance in term 4.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Our work in Term 2 follows closely on from Term 1’s work on the Norman Conquest, and builds in to our later work in Year 7 and beyond on concepts of power and authority over time. The changes to kingship in the Middle Ages provide important context for later developments such as the growing importance of Parliament and the events of the English Civil War, which we study later in Year 7. Magna Carta was a significant point in the development of the rule of law in Britain. Studying ordinary life provides an important point of contrast with our earlier study of those at the top of the feudal system (the monarch) and lays the foundation for our Term 3 work on the Peasants’ Revolt. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

Medieval peasants lived a very difficult life where famine and disease were a near-constant threat. Religion was a key aspect of medieval life, offering the promise of a better afterlife, and the Church consequently had a great deal of power. The Black Death caused extraordinary changes to life in the Middle Ages. Following the Black Death, labour shortages caused rapid wage growth and it was government attempts to control the wages of peasants, while also taxing peasants unfairly, which caused the Peasants Revolt in 1381. The peasants – led by Wat Tyler – converged on London from south-east England and caused significant damage to the city, while also executing the Archbishop of Canterbury, Simon Sudbury. Medieval chroniclers are inconsistent in their reports of what happened on the final day of the revolt, with some suggesting Wat Tyler was murdered, others that he was killed in self-defence. The early modern period, from 1485-1700, was one which saw significant social, cultural and political changes. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The core knowledge outlined above, particularly in terms of how it illustrates the changing nature of life in medieval England. 

What should they be able to do? Evaluate differing historical sources in order to come to a conclusion about what happened in the past; understand and analyse how change occurred between c.1300 and c.1600. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: formal assessment carried out mid-term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, we move on from the medieval period into the transformative Early Modern era. During Terms 1-3, students have built knowledge of medieval power structures, religious beliefs, and the medieval social order – all of those were challenged and to a large extent transformed in the 1500s and 1600s. We begin by considering how the Renaissance changed Europe, examining changes to art, science, technology and religion. The Reformation, in particular, led to dramatic change in England, which we study further during Term 5. We follow this unit by considering social change in England, examining a range of historical source material (letters, portraits, buildings) to evaluate who can tell us the most about life in early modern England. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Our work this term helps students further develop their understanding of historical change, building on their work on changes to medieval life from Terms 2-3. The changes of the Renaissance laid the foundations for further developments in art, science and technology during the 1700s and 1800s, and a clear understanding of the Renaissance supports students’ work when examining events such as the Industrial revolution during Year 8. When examining social change in early modern England, our use of historical sources builds on students’ work on the Peasants’ Revolt during Term 3. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

The early modern period, from 1485-1700, was one which saw significant social, cultural and political changes. Art developed hugely, for example with accurate depictions of the human body for the first time since the Ancient world – this enabled progress in medical knowledge. Technology and science also developed significantly – the printing press was a key development which led to rapid improvements in the communication of knowledge, while inventions such as the microscope helped move forward scientific understanding. The Reformation began in Germany through the work of Martin Luther, whose complaints against corruption in the Catholic Church led to the development of two distinct styles of Christian worship and belief: Catholic and Protestant. Catholic churches were highly decorated, held services in Latin and believed in transubstantiation. Protestant churches were plain and simple, with services in English. England underwent rapid social change during the 1500s, with larger houses (for some), growing literacy, a more organised approach to law and order and increasing wealth for the emerging ‘middle sort’ – middle classes. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The core knowledge outlined above, particularly in terms of how it illustrates the changing nature of life in medieval England. 

What should they be able to do? Evaluate the process of historical change over time. Analyse historical source material. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: low-stakes testing during lessons. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will carry out two historical enquiries. The first, ‘Why do we care so much about bits of stone and metal?’ is a two lesson investigation of statues at different points in history, using the Cromwell statue, and the Colston statue, as starting points but ranging across time periods, countries and issues including the present day. The second, ‘Sugar – an innocent pleasure?’ looks at how sugar has been used over a 2000 year period, examining the Atlantic slave trade but also what it can teach us about medieval status, more recent issues of rationing and obesity and many other themes. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students have finished their year 7 studies which broadly looked at 1066-1649. The statues unit is the first time they have really looked at the notion that historical opinions and accepted wisdom are constructs, not properties of the event or the person themselves, and the way in which each society interprets the past in light of its own values. The sugar unit seeks to challenge preconceptions and, in line with much popular historical writing, takes one substance as a window on the past over time. These breadth units also seek to reinforce and improve our students’ chronological understanding, as they revisit periods they have covered in year 7, and to build for GCSE, where the thematic unit (migration) is an integral part of the course. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

Statues reflect the opinions of the time they were created and are a conscious portrayal of the past – as such their place in each new generation will be controversial 

Sugar was originally from Asia, was a status symbol in medieval England, was a key part of Britain’s growing economy during the Industrial Revolution (through the slave trade) and provides an intriguing lens through which to view much 20th and 21st century history. 

The Atlantic slave trade in the 16th-19th centuries was horrendous, organised, not just British, not just to do with slave ships (students struggle to understand that enslaved people would have children, who were then born into slavery) and eventually ended through action by the enslaved people themselves, ordinary men and women in England, and famous abolitionists like Wilberforce. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….show improved chronological awareness, ask thoughtful questions about commemoration/statues,  

What should they be able to know? 

See core knowledge.

What should they be able to do? 

Articulate their views and their factual knowledge in clear and complete sentences and organised paragraphs. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Assessment at the end of term – multiple choice questions (including some year 7 work) and focus on sugar, including giving their response to the enquiry question. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will carry out two historical enquiries. The first, on ‘What remains from West Africa’s experience of the slave trade?’ builds on term 1 work looking at the Atlantic slave trade, but deliberately shifts the focus both geographically and conceptually (see below). This is followed by a one-off lesson developing an overview of the 18th and 19th centuries, as this is our period for much of the rest of the year.  The second enquiry, on ‘Why was Britain singing ‘Rule, Britannia’ by 1900?’ seeks to show students that Britain was incredibly powerful, and that it was far from inevitable than she would be – contrasting ideas, both of which can probe challenging to grasp. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The decision to focus on West Africa comes from an awareness that ‘traditional’ teaching of the Atlantic slave trade has been very Eurocentric, largely ignoring the societies that experienced such a huge trauma, and the nature of the interactions on the African content. We wanted to begin to redress that balance. The unit also focusses on historical sources (hence ‘What remains…?’), an integral part of the discipline which we are seeking to pursue more rigorously throughout KS3. The second main unit has a broad causation focus, examining different reasons why Britain became powerful and looking in broad brushstrokes at the British Empire, another topic of huge modern interest and debate. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

Key sites in West Africa (such as Cape Coast Castle in Ghana), maps, portraits and written sources (including Oloudah Equiano’s autobiography) will be examined – students realising that sources are how we (re)construct the past, and they become evidence when we use them to answer historical questions. 

A source’s usefulness to us as historians depends on the question being asked, and also on its provenance  

The Glorious Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the expansion of the British Empire are all important elements in leading to Britain viewing itself as a superior, benevolent power. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….avoid taking sources at face value, construct a causal explanation  

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Articulate their views and their factual knowledge in clear and complete sentences and organised paragraphs. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, and for homework – no timed assessment this term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will carry out two historical enquiries based on themes of revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries, following on from having studied the Industrial Revolution Term 2. The first enquiry ‘What motivated the British rulers of India?’ looks at the conquest and colonisation of India by Britain. This will draw on themes from the previous enquiry of reasons for and the impact of Empire into a different geographical context and how these ideas changed over time. This is followed by a one-off lessons on political thought exploring ideas of liberty and scepticism which will ground their studying of the rest of their topics for Terms 3 and 4. The second main enquiry ‘Why do the French still sing the Marseillaise? Introduces students to the events and ideas of the French Revolution and seeks to show students the impact that this event has had on the world today.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

Students will have previously studied the British Empire in a ‘traditional’ way by studying the impact of it on Britain by 1900 in Term 2, however it is important students understand the motivations that led the British to colonising countries such as India, and that these reasons were not stagnant and changed over time depending on the ambitions and ideologies that were dominant at the time. This unit will also give students a more rounded perspective of the impact of the British Empire by looking at how it affected those who were colonised. Students will have previously studied units that address how people and places change over time, but it is integral that they understand how motivations can change throughout time and what this looks like in action in history. The second unit is a significance enquiry, understanding why the French Revolution and the ideas of Liberty and Freedom are still so impactful in our society today. The examination of the French Revolution as well as the ideas behind it will also inform their study of further revolutions and protest in Term 4 in the American and British context.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

• India: Motivations of the British including trading and the role of the British East India Company, the Conquest of India including the 1857 Rising and the events immediately before and after  

• Political Thought: Students should be able to understand explain ideas of absolutism, liberty, rationalism and scepticism and why that led to revolutions and changes in how people thought countries should be run  

• French Revolution: Issues with the hierarchy system in France (First/Second/Third Estate), conflict between the King and National Assembly, the Storming of the Bastille, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the beheading of the King and the Terror that followed, Revolutions that were inspired by the French and the impact on laws in France today  

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can…. Explain how motivations for Empire changed over time and explain how new political ideas inspired the French Revolution. 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above.  

What should they be able to do? Articulate their views and their factual knowledge in clear and complete sentences and organised paragraphs. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: - Students will complete a written piece of work on the history we have studied so far this year after the first unit on India which will be marked, and they will receive feedback on. A timed, formal assessment will occur at the end of the half term featuring Multiple Choice, Short Answer and a Long Answer Question about what they have studied so far. Short and Long Answer will be on recent topics since their last assessment, MCQ will feature knowledge across what they have studied at KS3.  

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will carry out two historical enquiries based on themes of revolution and protests in the 18th-20th centuries, following on from similar themes of revolution and political thought in Term 3. The first, shorter enquiry ‘Land of the free?’ asks students to examine the events and ideas surrounding the American Revolution and Civil War, and who the USA was really built to be ‘free’ for. Students will study the political ideas that informed why Americans rebelled against the British, why the US descended into Civil War in the 1860s, as well as the experiences of African Americans under slavery and then segregation. The second, longer enquiry of the term ‘Power to the People: Who have we forgotten while we’ve hailed the suffragettes?’ seeks to show students the journey to democracy in Britain, from the events of Peterloo, the actions of the Chartists to those of the Suffragettes and Suffragists in the early 1900s. Students will study the changes brought about by different movements, as well as the methods used by these different groups and how effective they were.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The first unit was chosen to contextualise the work students do in Term 3 on ideas of Liberty and Revolution, so they are able to understand that events such as the French Revolution do not occur in a vacuum. Students will be able to make connections between these events, drawing up similarities between the different contexts so they are able to see the broader movement in the West during this period toward republicanism and democracy. This work will also give some context for those that choose GCSE History, when students study period in the USA in more detail. The second, longer unit on the road to British democracy further builds on the themes of protest and revolution. This unit aims for students to examine how Britain became the democratic society it is today, and in particular understand that the Suffragettes did not exist in a vacuum, but came from a long line of people fighting for the vote.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

• USA: Political ideas informing why the American revolution happened such as liberty, key figures involved in the revolution such as Washington and Jefferson, the contradiction of ideas present in early America about freedom and slavery, how these ideas came into conflict during the Civil War and after, informing segregation in the Southern States 

• Democracy in Britain: Events of the Peterloo Massacre, methods used by the Chartist movement to campaign for working men to have the right to vote, the differences between the Suffragettes and Suffragists and methods used by them, the impact of WW1 in universal suffrage in Britain  

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can…. Explain how American ideas of freedom did not apply to everyone, and construct a summary and explanation of how democracy was achieved in Britain, including achievements and the impact of events/movements outside of the Suffragettes. 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge.  

What should they be able to do?  Articulate their views and their factual knowledge in clear and complete sentences and organised paragraphs. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, and for homework – no timed assessment this term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, students in Year 9 will begin their studies of twentieth century History by focusing on the events leading up to and during the First World War. We introduce the twentieth century via a 2-lesson study of the Olympic games over time, before considering the causes of the First World War, evaluating how the international situation in 1914 meant the murder of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand could lead to the outbreak of a world war. We then study the international aspect of the First World War, considering where the war was really fought and developing an appreciation of how the war was very far from all about the Western Front.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The First World War is essential context for our work during the rest of Year 9, particularly in Term 2 when we consider the war’s consequences in depth. It is also core knowledge in its own right, as the beginnings of our ideas about remembrance, its long-lasting impact on culture, and its links to other areas of the curriculum (eg war poetry in English). 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

• The key events of the twentieth century can be reflected in the story of the Olympic games: the Olympics were paused during both the First and Second World Wars, the 1936 Olympic games were exploited by the Nazis for propaganda purposes, while after the Second World War the Olympics became a Cold War battleground. The First World War was the result of a range of complex causes, including but not limited to: German aggression, nationalism across Europe particularly in the Balkans, the influence of military planners and an escalating arms race between the major powers. The key alliances were the Triple Entente (France, Britain, Russia) and the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy). The fighting in the war occurred in Europe on the Western Front (France and Belgium) and Eastern Front (modern-day Poland and Russia); in the Middle East; at sea across the world; in East Africa; Gallipoli in Turkey. Much of the fighting involved trenches, which were defended with barbed wire, machine guns and artillery. Troops from across the British Empire fought for Britain, notably ANZAC troops from Australia and New Zealand, soldiers from India, native bearers from Africa and others. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The causes of the First World War, the events, diversity of theatres of war and participants in the conflict. 

What should they be able to do? Explain why the war broke out, evaluate where the war was really fought. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: low-stakes testing through lessons; more formal assessment carried out at the end of term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, students in Year 9 will continue their work on the twentieth century by evaluating the hugely significant consequences of the First World War, beginning with the Russian Revolution of 1917. We follow this with a study of the causes of the Second World War, considering how the conclusion of the First World War set forces in motion which made a Second World War more likely, while also evaluating the unique circumstances surrounding the outbreak of the Second, such as the British policy of appeasement and the ideological conflict between Communism and Fascism.   

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Bolshevik takeover and subsequent Communist government of the USSR which followed the Russian Revolution is essential context for understanding the Cold War, studied during Term 5. Studying the development of dictatorship during the 1930s through our work on Nazi Germany provides a salutary warning to anyone who might take our present-day democracy for granted. The causes of the Second World War help us to round off our story from the outbreak of the First World War to the beginning of the Second, while also setting the stage for our work in Term 3. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

• The events of the Russian Revolution in 1917, particularly focused on the October Revolution, events of the storming of the Winter Palace, and subsequent use of the storming as a key pillar of Communist propaganda and myth-making in the Soviet Union. The causes of the Second World War, particularly: the impact  of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany and the international system; appeasement by Britain and France, particularly the government of Neville Chamberlain from 1937; the aggressive foreign policy of Hitler and Nazi Germany, including the takeover of Austria, the Sudetenland and Czechoslovakia; failure of the League of Nations. There was a range of diverse reasons behind the Nazi rise to power in Germany: failure of Weimar democracy, hyperinflation, the impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany, the Great Depression of 1929, German culture, the personality of Adolf Hitler. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The causes of the Second World War 

What should they be able to do? Use historical sources to consider what really happened at the Winter Palace in 1917, evaluate the causes of the Second World War, and the reasons the Nazis were able to take power in Germany in 1933. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: low-stakes testing through lessons. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

In term 3 students in Year 9 will keep looking at the twentieth century and the exploration of the Nazi regime in Germany by looking at the Holocaust perpetrated within Germany (although not exclusively committed by ethnic Germans), the Reichskommissariat and, and the occupied territories. Here students are able to track, using sources, how, through gradual legal enabling, cultural influences and societal pressures, the Holocaust could be perpetrated in such a short period of time. This in followed by an enquiry on the Blitz spirit in London, using sources students will explore and conclude whether there was in fact a Blitz spirit in London or whether this is a historical myth. Students then study the bombing of Hiroshima, looking at events leading up to, during and the after the bombing where students can ultimately study the questions of morality in history and how a moral lens can be dangerous to historical enquiry and lead to misconceptions.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

To have a clear understanding the Nazi regime, one has to understand the destruction and desires for a truly ethno-state that they were attempting to construct, which resulted in the attempted destruction of races and sub-groups within Europe. By drawing on the bloodlands, students are able to link the current conflict in Ukraine with the holocaust, which focussed on similar attempted destructions of race and sovereignty and the concept of living spaces and revanchism/irridentism. The Blitz spirit helps students explore the idea of historical myths. By looking at something like the Blitz spirit, students can take a historical myth and, using evidence explore whether this reflects reality or not. Finally, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima bring to a conclusion the pre-atomic age and the second world war and usher in the era of ideological competition between the Western democracies and the eastern communist regimes.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

• The events of the holocaust, how through legal mechanisms, culture, and societal pressure the extermination of races and subgroups were both perpetrated, legitimised and made easier both by the individual and the state with an emphasis on time and space as historical concepts.  

  The blitz, the events around the blitz and the publics reaction to it.  

  The bombing of Hiroshima, why it happened, was it necessary and what are the effects of the bombings on the atomic age the world entered after the bombing.  

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know?  How and why the Holocaust was perpetrated, the events and impact of the atomic bombing.  

What should they be able to do? Use historical sources and information to consider how and why the holocaust was perpetrated, explore whether there was a blitz spirit based on the evidence, and to understand and discuss the events and significance of the atomic bombings  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: low-stakes testing through lessons. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

This term students will start by looking at the consequences of the second world war. Here they will look at the significant consequences of the second world war and ultimately argue which, in their opinion, was the most significant consequence of the second world war. Students will then move onto the civil rights movement in America. They will study all the different individuals and groups contributed to and conclude whether or not Martin Luther King deserves the most credit for the successes of the movement. Students upon gaining such context, move on to the equal rights in Britain. Here they look at the development of equal rights in Britain, by looking at both the groups involved and the factors that went into the development of equal rights in Britain.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The consequences of the second world war helps provide context to the imaginary in the cold war era. It provides both political and societal context to the even the events to follow. The subject of civil and equal rights looks more at building an understanding of the social sphere in the cold war era (which helps our understanding of the political sphere the following term) as well as provide context and understanding vis-à-vis the western liberal world of today. This even provides students the opportunity to assess whether or not these movements have been a total success or not.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. Due to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work. 

Core knowledge:  

Students by looking at the consequences of the cold war will understand the context of the mid-late 20th century world. They will understand how decolonisation leads to new understandings of race and how the dissolution of the empire resulted in the only interwar “power” ultimately being replaced by the multipolar Soviet-American political world. Students will understand how the NHS emerged from the war, and was not only a factor of the war but also became a factor itself of the post-war welfare state. When looking at the civil rights movement, students will understand the events, such as the Bus Boycott, the Washington March as well as the role of individuals and organisations in bringing civil rights to America. Students will thus understand the struggle of black Americans, how they attempted to overcome and challenge the status quo and ultimately how they succeeded. Students can take this understanding and then apply it to the struggle for equality in Britain. Students will understand the events and laws introduced to create an equal society in Britain with the 2010 Equality Act serving as an end point to the enquiry. Students will understand the events such as the murder of Stephen Lawrence and how it highlights the struggle for equality in Britain and how events like this are used as a catalyst to create change in the world.  

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

What should they be able to know? The consequences of the second world war, what they were and how they create the post-war world. The actors and events behind the civil rights movement and which were more significant. The actors and events behind the pursuit of equal rights in Britain.  

What should they be able to do? Explain what the consequences were and to what extent they were both caused by the war and helped create the postwar world. Outline the course of the civil rights movement and how actors and events helped in the development of civil rights. Equal rights, as with civil rights, follows a similar structure, looking at the actors and events that ultimately drive the equal rights movement  

Learning checkpoints and assessment: low-stakes testing through lessons; more formal assessment carried out at the end of term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will be beginning the first two units of the GCSE OCR History Specification B course. One teacher has four lessons a fortnight and covers Migration Through Time, while another has two lessons and looks at the Norman Conquest. Both units are worth 20% in the final exam. In Migration, students will cover the first half of the course, which examines the causes/experiences/impact of migration to Britain after 1900, and between 1250 and 1500. This broad chronological sweep (of which students should already have a general understanding from KS3) enables detailed comparison of similarities and differences between different groups and how they were received. We decided to start with the most recent period and then go back to 1250 and go through the rest of the course chronologically. For the Norman Conquest, a study in depth of c1066-1087, this term sees students examining Anglo-Saxon England, uncovering the world the Normans took over, and beginning focussed work on historical interpretations (portrayals of the past) which is a feature of this unit throughout. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now?  

We chose Migration as our Breadth Unit because the topic is crucial in providing context for and a corrective to some of the contemporary debate on the issue, given that ‘history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes’. We also feel it is invaluable in teaching students that Britain has a much more diverse past than is sometimes realised or acknowledged. We chose the Norman Conquest as our British Depth Unit because we teach it – as almost every school does – right at the beginning of KS3 and wanted the opportunity to revisit it in much greater depth, feeling that the foundational knowledge they have enables students to get to grips with interpretations more readily. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

Migration: The basic principle of the course is that people have always moved to Britain, but their reasons for doing so, the experiences they had, and the impact they made, differs with each group and each time period, providing a mass of parallels and contradictions.  Key examples for the first half of the course include:- 

Jewish people – migrating to Britain in all four periods we study, they came to Britain because of persecution in the 20th century, and were persecuted and expelled in the 13th century. 

Other groups that migrated because of/during the World Wars – including Belgians, Germans, Italians, Poles and their differing treatment. 

People from the Caribbean – migrating in large numbers after the Second World War, the challenging experiences they faced both in the short- and long-term. 

Recent events and their impact – such as EU integration/Brexit, and the war in Ukraine. 

Normans: This section is referred to as ‘England on the eve of the conquest – the character of late Anglo-Saxon England’, stemming from the traditional interpretation of the period as something of a ‘Golden Age’, destroyed when the ‘Norman yoke’ was imposed. Key details include:- 

The hierarchical nature of Anglo-Saxon society, including the power of the six earls, the extent of the ceorls’ independence, and the rights of the thralls/slaves. 

The status of women in Anglo-Saxon England, a matter of considerable debate. 

The increasingly scandalous state of the Anglo-Saxon Church, which helps explain the Papacy’s support for William of Normandy. 

The extraordinary surviving examples of Anglo-Saxon culture, including the Alfred Jewel and the Fuller Brooch. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? 

Because they can….recall and deploy factual knowledge to support analytical comment 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Migration – make comparisons within and across periods, and suggest reasons for changes. Normans – explain and evaluate interpretations. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Assessment on migration half way through the term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

With one teacher, In Migration, students will cover the second half of the course, which examines the causes/experiences/impact of migration to Britain after from 1500-1900 This broad chronological sweep (of which students should already have a general understanding from KS3) enables detailed comparison of similarities and differences between different groups and how they were received, making repeated links back to Term 1 work as many questions require coverage of more than one period. For the Norman Conquest, a study in depth of c1066-1087, this term sees students examining how and why William of Normandy became King of England, and beginning to look at how William took control of the whole country, and whether this was through brutality or English consent. We also continue focussed work on historical interpretations (portrayals of the past) which is a feature of this unit throughout.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now?  

We chose Migration as our Breadth Unit because the topic is crucial in providing context for and a corrective to some of the contemporary debate on the issue, given that ‘history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes’. We also feel it is invaluable in teaching students that Britain has a much more diverse past than is sometimes realised or acknowledged. We chose the Norman Conquest as our British Depth Unit because we teach it – as almost every school does – right at the beginning of KS3 and wanted the opportunity to revisit it in much greater depth, feeling that the foundational knowledge they have enables students to get to grips with interpretations more readily. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

Migration: The basic principle of the course is that people have always moved to Britain, but their reasons for doing so, the experiences they had, and the impact they made, differs with each group and each time period, providing a mass of parallels and contradictions.  Key examples for this part of the course include:- 

Religious refugees in the 16th and 17th centuries – Huguenots – French Protestants fleeing persecution – were welcomed, Palatines – German (mostly) Protestants – treated very differently. 

The Irish in the 19th century – migrating in large numbers due to the potato famine, in general treated very badly, but made a significant impact. 

The contrasting experiences of other European migrants in the 19th century – Germans, Italians, Jews. 

African and Indian migrants – in Britain in greater numbers than is sometimes assumed – such as John Blanke, Ira Aldridge and Cornelia Sorabji. 

Normans: These sections are referred to as ‘Invasion and Victory’ and ‘Resistance and Response’ (the latter goes into term 3). Key details include:- 

The specifics of the succession crisis of 1066 – not just that Edward the Confessor had no heir (a key fact from year 7) and the strengths and weaknesses of the possible successors, but also the considerable confusion over what Edward promised to whom, and the varying interpretations as a result. 

A broad debate as to whether William was lucky in the way that the events of 1066 played out 

The extent of resistance to the Normans throughout England, 1066-68 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? 

Because they can….recall and deploy factual knowledge to support analytical comment 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Migration – make comparisons within and across periods, and suggest reasons for changes. Normans – explain and evaluate interpretations. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Assessment in both units during the term. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

With one teacher (two lessons a week) the Migration course will be finished in the first week of term, with a review of the changes and continuities across the 800 year period of the course. This is particularly important for this paper, which expects students to make links and comparison between and across periods. This teacher will then join the teacher of the Norman Conquest course, focussing on the role of (and variation in) castles for the Normans, and then concluding with a study of whether the Normans brought – as one historian has claimed – a ‘truckload of trouble’ for England, or whether conquest was more about integration and assimilation than the destruction of Anglo-Saxon ways of life. The other teacher (one lesson a week) will continue with Normans work, looking at how the Normans expanded their control after the Battle of Hastings, and whether this was through brutality or English consent. We also continue focussed work on historical interpretations (portrayals of the past) which is a feature of this unit throughout. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now?  

.Normans: These sections are referred to in the specification as:- 

‘Resistance and Response’ – There are many examples of the Normans being brutal to the English, such as in their torching of the South Bank in London in 1066, or their legendary destruction of the North, which saw even their own writers condemn the violence. However, as at Exeter, there are also times that the Normans were much more conciliatory. 

‘Castles’ – these were much more varied, in nature and in purpose, than we might assume. Students need to be aware of different examples of castles, the way the general trend in castle building changed through the first twenty years of the conquest, and also the difficulty in interpreting castle remains and reconstructions 

‘Conquest and Control’ – we look at the Domesday Book, and the feudal system, but also the changes and continuities in the Church, language and law. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

Migration: The basic principle of the course is that people have always moved to Britain, but their reasons for doing so, the experiences they had, and the impact they made, differs with each group and each time period, providing a mass of parallels and contradictions.  Key examples for this part of the course include:- 

Religious refugees in the 16th and 17th centuries – Huguenots – French Protestants fleeing persecution – were welcomed, Palatines – German (mostly) Protestants – treated very differently. 

The Irish in the 19th century – migrating in large numbers due to the potato famine, in general treated very badly, but made a significant impact. 

The contrasting experiences of other European migrants in the 19th century – Germans, Italians, Jews. 

African and Indian migrants – in Britain in greater numbers than is sometimes assumed – such as John Blanke, Ira Aldridge and Cornelia Sorabji. 

Normans: These sections are referred to as ‘Invasion and Victory’ and ‘Resistance and Response’ (the latter goes into term 3). Key details include:- 

The specifics of the succession crisis of 1066 – not just that Edward the Confessor had no heir (a key fact from year 7) and the strengths and weaknesses of the possible successors, but also the considerable confusion over what Edward promised to whom, and the varying interpretations as a result. 

A broad debate as to whether William was lucky in the way that the events of 1066 played out 

The extent of resistance to the Normans throughout England, 1066-68 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? 

Because they can….recall and deploy factual knowledge to support analytical comment 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Migration – make comparisons within and across periods, and suggest reasons for changes. Normans – explain and evaluate interpretations. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Assessment towards the middle of term 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

After finishing the Normans unit in the first week, we begin our third unit of the five in the GCSE History course – ‘History Around Us’. OCR Specification B is unique among exam syllabuses in providing (and very much encouraging) the opportunity for schools and students to investigate history themselves, rather than from a textbook, by choosing a specific site to investigate. For us, this is Eltham Palace, a few miles from school, which boasts a rich and varied back story, from manor house to royal palace to dereliction to an Art Deco masterpiece and centre for wealthy socialising, and much more besides. We investigate these stories, and what remains of them today, in preparation for a site visit in term 5. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now?  

We chose Eltham because of its proximity to school and yet, partly just because of the vagaries of south London bus routes, an awareness that many of our students may not have visited it before or even particularly know about it. It is an intriguing site to examine because of its variety of uses, the extensive remains visible today and also – challengingly – the way in which the site is now largely (a) a 1930s interpretation of medieval times and (b) a 21st century interpretation of the 1930s. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? 

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

Students are ultimately examined on questions based on 14 criteria set by the exam board, such as ‘the diversity of people and activities associated with the site’ and ‘the significance of specific physical features in the physical remains of the site’, alongside an expectation that students will think like historians in pursuing their own lines of enquiry. So we cover the transition of Eltham to royal hands in the early 14th century, the substantial rebuilding under Edward IV, the extensive use by the early Tudors and then, as Hampton Court became more favoured, Eltham’s fall from grace, during which it was often visited by artists, such as Turner, involved in the Romantic movement. We cover the site’s purchase by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld, their construction of an extraordinary Art Deco house, and the various experiences of the site since the Second World War. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? 

Because they can….recall and deploy factual knowledge to support analytical comment about the site 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Ask and answer questions about the site. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: Assessment towards the end of term 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students are continuing their studies of ‘Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-45’, which we began in the summer term and constitutes 20% of the overall GCSE. We will complete the last three units. ‘Changing Lives’ focusses on ordinary life in terms of work and education, and the escalation of anti-Semitic policy, while ‘Germany in War’ looks at the extent of the changes, challenges and ultimately desperation the German people experienced. The unit requires consideration of both contemporary source material and historical interpretations, and is part of our work on the GCSE OCR History Specification B.  

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

We chose ‘Life in Nazi Germany’ as our World Depth study because of the intriguing, uncomfortable questions it poses, both of how the Nazis were able to take over Germany and then – even more surprisingly, perhaps – how they were, for much of the period we look at, fairly popular within Germany. It provides useful context for our A Level course, for those who will continue with the subject in 6th form, and builds helpfully on a brief unit student completed in year 9.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

Unemployment fell and there was an emphasis on improving working conditions, providing cheap holidays etc. Women’s place was in the home but was valued. 

Nazi (attempted) control of young people was comprehensive and focussed on their future roles 

Persecution of Jewish people grew exponentially 

The Second World War saw a huge focus on wartime production, leading to shortages of consumer goods 

Germans experienced rationing, bombing and evacuation 

Opposition during wartime escalated significantly, including the White Rose movement and the Army Bomb Plot 

Occupation by Germany brought suffering and terror to central and Eastern Europe 

The Holocaust happened predominantly in Poland and was an evolving atrocity.

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….recall and become increasingly adept at deploying factual knowledge to make an analytical point

What should they be able to know? 

See core knowledge.

What should they be able to do? 

Explain and evaluate sources and interpretations. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

1 main assessment this term, alongside continuous low stakes assessment. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, we conclude our study of ‘Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-45’, which we began in the summer term and constitutes 20% of the overall GCSE by getting an overview of this fascinating topic and then preparing students for the PPE examinations. After the PPEs, we move on to the final unit of our OCR B History GCSE, examining ‘The Making of America, 1789-1900’, which also constitutes 20% of the overall GCSE. This unit enables us to understand how America became America, considering diverse issues such as American culture, attitudes towards race and slavery, the treatment of indigenous people and change over time. We begin by examining the expansion of the United States following the War of Independence. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Making of America unit is the final part of our GCSE course (OCR B). This overview of the early history of the United States enables us to examine and appreciate many of the reasons America is the way it is today, from the political structure of the USA to the difficulties surrounding race across the USA to this day.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

The political structure of the USA: the constitution, federal government (President, Congress, Supreme Court), individual states and (in the 18th and 19th centuries) territories. 

The diversity of the USA in 1789: indigenous peoples, African-Americans, white Americans 

The geography of the USA and how this shaped settlement. 

The structure of cotton slavery in the southern USA, attitudes towards slavery and growing opposition. Economic differences between north and south. 

Treatment of Native Americans, including the 1830 Indian Removal Act and the trail of tears 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….recall and become increasingly adept at deploying factual knowledge to make an analytical point 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Evaluate change over time, consider diversity of experiences in History. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: PPEs during this term are the main form of assessment, plus regular low-stakes testing in class. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, we will continue our work on the final unit of our OCR B History GCSE, examining ‘The Making of America, 1789-1900’, which constitutes 20% of the overall GCSE grade. This unit enables us to understand how America became America, considering diverse issues such as American culture, attitudes towards race and slavery, the treatment of indigenous people and change over time. During Term 2, we began this unit by considering how the USA grew from a small collection of states on the East Coast following independence, and the impact this had on different groups across the continent. This term, we build on that work by examining the early years of exploration and expansion into the ‘Wild West’, the US Civil War – its causes, horrifying nature and important consequences – and how settlement of the Midwest led to conflict with indigenous peoples there. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Making of America unit is the final part of our GCSE course (OCR B). This overview unit which examines the early history of the United States enables us to examine and appreciate many of the reasons America is the way it is today, from the political structure of the USA to its difficulties surrounding race.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

The West 1839–1860: essentially the core knowledge students need for this unit is around the nature of life in the West for a series of groups: the indigenous peoples (known at the time as the ‘Plains Indians’), the Mormons, gold miners and other early migrants. Specifically, this means: the culture of the Plains Indians including a case study of the Lakota Sioux, the journeys of the early migrants to California and Oregon; the Mormon settlement of Utah, the nature and impact of the Californian Gold Rush (1848–1849) and the consequences of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush (1858–1859) 

Civil War and Reconstruction 1861–1877: there are three core sections to this part of the course: the causes of the Civil War, events of the war from the African-American perspective, and the years of ‘Reconstruction’ which followed the war, which ultimately proved to be disappointing to the hopes of many African-Americans.  

Settlement and conflict on the Plains 1861–1877: this unit tracks the growing expansion of the USA and the conflict which arose with the indigenous peoples of the plains as a result: the causes and nature of white American exploitation of the Plains: railroads, ranches and cow towns, homesteaders: living and farming on the Plains, the Indian Wars including Little Crow’s War (1862), Red Cloud’s War (1865–1868) and the Great Sioux War (1876–1877) 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can… recall and become increasingly adept at deploying factual knowledge to make an analytical point 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Evaluate change over time, consider diversity of experiences in History. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: regular low-stakes testing in class, alongside formal assessments with opportunity to complete exam question practice, and homeworks. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

During this term, we will conclude our work on the final unit of our OCR B History GCSE, examining ‘The Making of America, 1789-1900’, which constitutes 20% of the overall GCSE grade. This unit enables us to understand how America became America, considering diverse issues such as American culture, attitudes towards race and slavery, the treatment of indigenous people and change over time. We have now covered 4/5 of the sub-topics of this unit, examining how America grew from a small collection of states on the East Coast, across the Great Plains and into the West. We have seen how this brought benefits for some (gold miners, cattle ranchers, Mormons, railroad companies), disappointment and disillusionment for others (freed African-Americans after the Civil War) and conflict and destruction to the indigenous peoples of the Great Plains. In the final topic of this unit, we examine the development of some of the core characteristics of what we would consider modern America: the ‘melting pot’ of migration to cities like New York, big business, urbanisation and skyscrapers. We also see how the traditional way of life of the indigenous peoples of America was destroyed by the US government, and examine life for African-Americans at the turn of the century. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The Making of America unit is the final part of our GCSE course (OCR B). This overview unit which examines the early history of the United States enables us to examine and appreciate many of the reasons America is the way it is today, from the political structure of the USA to its difficulties surrounding race. Our work this term, in particular, is especially pertinent to understanding America today. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Lessons comprise a mixture of factual recall, discussion, written work, source/interpretation investigation and debate. The department seeks to follow students’ ESPs and provide both simplification and extension as necessary. During to the nature of our subject, students who find writing hard still have opportunities to excel in the oral parts of our work, but the written demands of GCSE are considerable.  

Core knowledge:  

American cultures 1877–1900: changes to the Plains Indians’ way of life including the impact of reservations and the destruction of the buffalo, the impact of economic, social and political change on the lives of African Americans, the growth of big business, cities and mass migration. 

PPE revision of our five GCSE units: History around us (Eltham Palace); Migrants to Britain, c.1250-present; The Norman Conquest, 1065-87; Living Under Nazi Rule, 1933-45; The Making of America, 1789-1900. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can… recall and become increasingly adept at deploying factual knowledge to make an analytical point 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Evaluate change over time, consider diversity of experiences in History. 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: regular low-stakes testing in class, alongside formal assessments with opportunity to complete exam question practice, and homeworks. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students will begin their A-Level studies of the Edexcel History specification, Route G. For 2023-24, we will begin with the Italy option (The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-1946) for Paper 2, and the Tudor option (Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485-1603) for Paper 3. The former has four lessons a fortnight and is worth 20% of the overall A Level. This term covers the first bullet point of the specification, on the Liberal State, and begins work on the rise of Mussolini. The Tudor course is taught over five lessons a fortnight and is worth 30% of the overall A level. This term examines the first of five depth studies, on Henry VII’s accession and the rebellions of Simnel and Warbeck, as well as the first of two themes, focussing on the workings of central government. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). Students studied mid-20th century Communist Russia/USSR, so the fortunes of fascist Italy, over a similar time period, provide intriguing similarities and differences. The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities, and will explain how/why Elizabeth I (a GCSE course) ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. Both units have a focus on using contemporary source material, so complement each other in that way. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

The tensions in and diversity of the newly unified nation of Italy 

The varying fortunes of Italy during the First World War, and the domestic reaction to them 

The uneasy nature of Henry VII’s accession 

The shifts in the locus of power during the Tudor period, with both the monarchy and parliament gaining 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness.

What should they be able to know? 

See core knowledge.

What should they be able to do? 

Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

Throughout, small scale as students adapt to A Level requirements, after each specification bullet point. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students continue their A-Level studies of the Edexcel History specification, Route G. For 2023-24, we will begin with the Italy option (The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-1946) for Paper 2, and the Tudor option (Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485-1603) for Paper 3. The former has four lessons a fortnight and is worth 20% of the overall A Level. This term covers the second and most of the third bullet point of the specification, on the rise of Mussolini and the creation and nature of the fascist state. The Tudor course is taught over five lessons a fortnight and is worth 30% of the overall A level. This term examines the second and third depth studies, on the Pilgrimage of Grace, and Kett’s Rebellion. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). Students studied mid-20th century Communist Russia/USSR, so the fortunes of fascist Italy, over a similar time period, provide intriguing similarities and differences. The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and will explain how/why Elizabeth I (a GCSE course) ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. Both units have a focus on using contemporary source material, so complement each other in that way. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

Mussolini’s seizure of power and creation of a dictatorship – a model for Hitler and other subsequent leaders 

Mussolini’s cult of personality and use of propaganda – again a model for future dictators 

The nature of leadership, with Mussolini and with two of most competent rebel leaders in Tudor England – Robert Aske and Robert Kett 

The pervasive, amorphous centrality of religious faith in Tudor England 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, small scale as students adapt to A Level requirements, after each specification bullet point. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students continue their A-Level studies of the Edexcel History specification, Route G. For 2023-24, we will begin with the Italy option (The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-1946) for Paper 2, and the Tudor option (Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485-1603) for Paper 3. The former has four lessons a fortnight and is worth 20% of the overall A Level. This term covers the rest of the third bullet point in the specification and most of the fourth. The Tudor course is taught over five lessons a fortnight and is worth 30% of the overall A level. This term examines the third and fourth depth studies of the course, on Kett’s Rebellion and the Revolt of the Northern Earls. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). Students studied mid-20th century Communist Russia/USSR, so the fortunes of fascist Italy, over a similar time period, provide intriguing similarities and differences. The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and will explain how/why Elizabeth I (a GCSE course) ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. Both units have a focus on using contemporary source material, so complement each other in that way. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

Mussolini’s use of a command economy to try to increase his country’s production and success, and the mixed results this had 

Mussolini’s persistent efforts to get Italy seen as a Great Power internationally, before and during the Second World War, and how this went wrong 

The nature and extent of the socio-economic ferocity of rebellion in 1549, and how Edward VI’s government eventually dealt with this 

The causes, events and consequences of the Revolt of the Northern Earls in 1569, and the response of Elizabeth I’s government to the rebellion. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, small scale as students adapt to A Level requirements, after each specification bullet point. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students continue their A-Level studies of the Edexcel History specification, Route G. For 2023-24, we will begin with the Italy option (The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-1946) for Paper 2, and the Tudor option (Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors, 1485-1603) for Paper 3. The former has four lessons a fortnight and is worth 20% of the overall A Level. This term covers the rest of the fourth bullet point in the specification, concluding the Italy course. The Tudor course is taught over five lessons a fortnight and is worth 30% of the overall A level. This term examines the fifth depth study of the course along with Theme 2. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). Students studied mid-20th century Communist Russia/USSR, so the fortunes of fascist Italy, over a similar time period, provide intriguing similarities and differences. The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and will explain how/why Elizabeth I (a GCSE course) ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. Both units have a focus on using contemporary source material, so complement each other in that way. 

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

Mussolini’s persistent efforts to get Italy seen as a Great Power internationally, before and during the Second World War, and how this went wrong. The events of the Second World War, Salo Republic, Mussolini’s death and the events of 1946. 

The causes and events of Tyrone’s rebellion in Ireland, along with the Elizabethan government response and reasons why the war dragged on for so long. 

How government gained the cooperation of the localities during the Tudor era: justices of the peace, literacy rates, patronage, royal progresses, law and order. Government in Wales and the north. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, small scale as students adapt to A Level requirements, after each specification bullet point. 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Students continue their A-Level studies of the Edexcel History specification (Route G), having learnt about ‘Germany and West Germany 1918-89’ for Paper 1, and ‘the rise of fascism in Italy c1911-1946’ for Paper 2, in Year 12. We take up Paper 3 work, looking at ‘Rebellion and disorder under the Tudors’. The Tudor course is taught over five lessons a fortnight and is worth 30% of the overall A level.  This term examines the first of five depth studies, on Henry VII’s accession and the rebellions of Simnel and Warbeck, as well as the first of two themes, focussing on the workings of central government. With a second teacher, students continue work on their coursework, which they did preparatory work for in year 12. The coursework is a 4000 word essay focussing on a historical controversy – the role of German aggression in causing the First World War, or the significance of Martin Luther King in the civil rights movements – and constitutes 20% of the overall A Level. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and as such is a helpful contrast with the depth work of year 12. It will explain how/why Elizabeth I (a GCSE course) ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. The coursework, focussing on historical interpretations but dealing simultaneously with other concepts such as causation and significance, is the synoptic unit.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

The uneasy nature of Henry VII’s accession 

The shifts in the locus of power during the Tudor period, with both the monarchy and parliament gaining 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the role of German aggression in causing the First World War 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the significance of Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement.

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness. 

What should they be able to know? 

See core knowledge.

What should they be able to do? 

Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material.

Learning checkpoints and assessment: 

throughout, small scale – also a Tudor assessment during the term – coursework will require a decision on the ‘chosen works’ by the end of term, which needs to be formally submitted to school for approval.

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Work continues on both the Paper 3 Tudor unit and the coursework, on either the causes of the First World War or the significance of Martin Luther King. We will take around three to four weeks on these – looking at the second depth study, on the Pilgrimage of Grace, for the Tudors, and probably beginning the third depth study on Kett’s rebellion. With coursework, students will be beginning to synthesise their findings from their reading, culminating in a detailed plan. 

After this point, we will do some in class revision for the year 13 December PPEs. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and as such is a helpful contrast with the depth work of year 12. It will explain how/why Elizabeth I (a GCSE course) ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. The coursework, focussing on historical interpretations but dealing simultaneously with other concepts such as causation and significance, is the synoptic unit.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

The nature of leadership, with Mussolini and with two of most competent rebel leaders in Tudor England – Robert Aske and Robert Kett 

The pervasive, amorphous centrality of religious faith in Tudor England 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the role of German aggression in causing the First World War 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the significance of Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, small scale – also coursework plan and Tudor (and Germany/Italy) work in PPEs 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Work continues during this term on both the Paper 3 Tudor unit and the coursework, on either the causes of the First World War or the significance of Martin Luther King. With coursework, students will be working towards the final deadline, acting on feedback on their first draft to complete the 4000 word essay. It is important that this essay makes use of specific factual knowledge to evaluate the views given in the historians’ works selected by each student – taking the initiative to regularly check work with teachers will yield the best results. In the Tudor rebellions unit, students will consider the dramatic events of Kett’s rebellion in Norfolk – a rebellion which envisaged a radical remaking of the Tudor social order and which experienced significant early success but which was ultimately doomed to defeat by superior royal forces. We also examine the Revolt of the Northern earls, an elite-led rebellion (in contrast to Kett) which sought to restore Catholicism to England, although religion was not the earls’ main motivation. We will also begin the final rebellion, Tyrone’s rebellion in Ireland, considering the causes of this rebellion ahead of further work in Term 4. 

After this point, we will do some in class revision for the year 13 December PPEs. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and as such is a helpful contrast with the depth work of year 12. It will explain how/why Elizabeth I ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. The coursework, focussing on historical interpretations but dealing simultaneously with other concepts such as causation and significance, is the synoptic unit.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the role of German aggression in causing the First World War 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the significance of Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement 

Agrarian discontent: Kett’s rebellion 1549 

● The social and economic reasons for rebellion: the impact of enclosures; rural discontent; the impact of the Duke of Somerset’s commission on enclosures. 

● The challenge posed by Kett’s rebellion: its demands; extent of the threat posed. 

● The role of leaders in challenge and suppression: Kett; Somerset and the Earl of Warwick; the extent of repression. 

Queen takes Queen? The revolt of the northern earls, 1569–70 

● The causes of and development of the challenge: problem posed by Mary, Queen of Scots; court politics and faction; the role of the Duke of Norfolk; economic and religious insecurities of the northern nobility; Mary’s arrival in 1568. 

● The main events of the revolt: the significance of the capture of Durham and the siege of Barnard Castle; the role of the northern earls; the extent of the threat to Elizabeth. 

● Failure and its impact: reasons for failure; repression; implications for Catholicism and Protestantism in England. 

Troublesome Ireland: Tyrone’s rebellion, 1594–1603 

● The reasons for the Nine Years’ War (Tyrone’s rebellion) and the significance of the support for Hugh O’Neill and Hue Roe O’Donnell from within Ireland and from Spain. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, small scale – also coursework plan and Tudor (and Germany/Italy) work in PPEs 

What?

What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging?

Work continues during this term on both the Paper 3 Tudor unit and the coursework, on either the causes of the First World War or the significance of Martin Luther King. With coursework, students will submit their work for marking and moderation. It is important they take the time before submitting to act on feedback on their first draft, making use of specific factual knowledge to evaluate the views given in the historians’ works selected by each student – taking the initiative to regularly check work with teachers will yield the best results. In the Tudor rebellions unit, students will conclude their work on Tyrone’s rebellion, examining why the revolt was so difficult to defeat and how it eventually came to an end. We conclude the unit by considering local government in Tudor England. 

We will then begin revision for the final examinations. 

Why?

Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? 

The topics chosen, and the disciplinary skills required, build on and develop students’ work from GCSE (though every year some students come to A Level without having studied GCSE, and do well). The Tudor unit emphasises long-term changes and continuities and as such is a helpful contrast with the depth work of year 12. It will explain how/why Elizabeth I ruled as she did, as well as significantly deepening and extending students’ understanding of that long and celebrated reign. The coursework, focussing on historical interpretations but dealing simultaneously with other concepts such as causation and significance, is the synoptic unit.  

How?  

How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)?

Core knowledge:  

Some examples include:- 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the role of German aggression in causing the First World War 

The historical and historiographical controversy about the significance of Martin Luther King in the civil rights movement 

Troublesome Ireland: Tyrone’s rebellion, 1594–1603 

● The reasons for the Nine Years’ War (Tyrone’s rebellion) and the significance of the support for Hugh O’Neill and Hue Roe O’Donnell from within Ireland and from Spain. 

● The significance of events and individuals: the Battles of Clontibret 1595, Yellow Ford 1598, Curlew Pass 1599, and the collapse of the Munster Plantation; the roles of Henry Bagenal, Florence MacCarthy, the Earl of Essex and Lord Mountjoy. 

● Reasons for the war’s duration and England’s eventual success, including the battle of Kinsale 1601, the late arrival of Spanish support and the siege of Dunboy; costs to the English government. 

2 Gaining the cooperation of the localities 

● Involving the localities in governance, 1485–1603: relations with localities (key developments: re-establishing the Council of the North 1537, the Law in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542); increasing borough representation in the Commons over the period; impact of increasing literacy in the yeoman class; the changing role of justices of the peace (key developments: the Tudor subsidy of 1513, the Statute of Artificers 1563, the Act for the Relief of the Poor 1598). 

● The crown and the country, 1485–1603: the development of a network of personal relationships by patronage, the granting of lands, titles and positions at court; the increasing use of royal progresses beyond London and the Home Counties. 

How well? 

What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?

Because they can….begin to experiment with/practise writing persuasively to a Level 3 standard, and showing increasing confidence in discussing source provenance and usefulness 

What should they be able to know? See core knowledge above 

What should they be able to do? Write persuasive paragraphs, make sensible suggestions about source material 

Learning checkpoints and assessment: throughout, small scale – also coursework plan and Tudor (and Germany/Italy) work in PPEs