GCSE History |
This course aims to |
- Excite students about the past to develop enquiring learners.
- Allow students to make sense of the world today.
- Make links between events to explain causes and consequences.
- Develop analysis skills.
- Shape the opinions people have on current affairs by giving students the historical context.
Why study GCSE History? |
History captures the imagination of students and opens their eyes to the wonders of studying the past. Students will study the people and events that have defined the world in which we live today. History teaches us about who we are and where we come from. History teaches us valuable skills which are vital in future employment, for example; communication of oral and written ideas, arguing, debating, logical thinking, analysis, research, seeing how a complex series of events interact, decision making, interpretation, deciding between relevant and irrelevant information, questioning, attention to detail, evaluating, using evidence, creativity, significance, collecting data, drawing conclusions, identifying changes, distinguishing between cause and consequence.
Finally, History is an academic subject, highly regarded by both universities and employers.
What kind of student is suitable for this course? |
Above all, students will need a questioning mind. It will take students back to the original Greek meaning of the word historia - to inquire. History students are well rounded individuals who develop an understanding about both the past and present. Of course, an interest in the past is vital, as students will embark on a form of time travel in which they will question and analyse how the world we live in has evolved over time.
What career options are opened up by the course? |
GCSE History develops important skills that are vital to many careers. It enables students to ask questions, express opinions, process information, think independently, structure arguments and understand the views of others. These skills are important for careers in law, journalism, media, marketing, research work, librarian/archive work, customer services and many more. All employers want people who can digest and communicate information, which History teaches you to do.
Course Structure |
Content
Year 10
Paper 1 - Thematic Study and Historic Environment:
Warfare and British society, c1250 - present and London and the Second World War, 1939 - 1945.
Paper 2 British Depth Study:
Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88
Year 11
Paper 2 Period Study:
Superpowers relations and the Cold War, 1941 - 1991
Paper 3 Modern Depth Study:
The USA, 1954 - 1975: Conflict at home and abroad.
Assessment
Paper 1:
Thematic Study and Historic Environment (1 hour 15 minute examination) 30% of the qualification
Paper 2:
Period Study and British Depth Study (1 hour 45 minute examination) 40% of the qualification
Paper 3: Modern Depth Study (1 hour 20 minute examination) 30% of the qualification
Key Contact |
Kathryn Akers, Head of History
Syllabus Website |