The History curriculum at TCA provides opportunities for students to study the history of the British Isles, Europe and the wider world, in order to understand how the modern world came to be. Students will be asked to ask and answer key questions to investigate the past as well as critically evaluate the sources of evidence that we have for our understanding of events. This will enable students to see key themes and trends across time, and develop an awareness of how Britain and its history fits in with the rest of the world.

The main aims of the History curriculum are to:

• Develop students chronological knowledge of Britain, Europe and the wider world
• Develop students understanding how historians ask questions and investigate the past using the second order concepts of cause, consequence, change, continuity, and significance
• Develop students understanding of the methods of historical enquiry including how sources are used to provide evidence and how interpretations can be different between different historians
• Allow students to question and evaluate, to form judgements, and to explain and debate different opinions
• To allow students to place their own experiences or the experiences of their family or local area into the wider historical context. Students will be able to see how the events of the past have directly affected their lives today
• To support all students to achieve well in order to progress to further study and employment

Key Stage 3
Students will have four hours of History a fortnight. In this time, students will study an ambitious curriculum structured predominantly chronologically throughout the different time periods from the Ancient World to the Modern day. This will aid with students chronological understanding of the British Isles, Europe and the wider world and be able to draw out different themes across each time period in order to make effective comparisons. Depth studies will be included across KS3 to study one aspect in full detail and how it fits in with the ‘big picture’ of history. Thematic studies will also be included so that students draw out the same idea or theme across a longer arc of time. Local history is interwoven into the entire curriculum so students can see how events have directly impacted their local area. Topics have been chosen to interest students and provide enjoyment in the studying of History.

Why study this subject at GCSE?
Students should study History as the four topics we study are highly enjoyable and interesting. These four topics allow students to explore history in both depth and thematic studies, cover both Britain and the wider world, as well as a range of time periods from Medieval to modern.

The four topics we study are:

• Medicine Through Time (including medicine in WW1).
• American West
• Early Elizabethan England
• Weimar and Nazi Germany

Additionally, it is a well-respected qualification by both colleges and employers who actively look for a History GCSE to indicate a strong candidate. This is because the skills and content learned in History are highly transferable to other subjects or careers.

How the course is assessed
Paper 1: Thematic study and historic environment - Medicine in Britain, c1250–present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches.
Written examination: 1 hour and 20 minutes
30%* of the qualification
52 marks (16 for the historic environment, 36 for the thematic study)
 
Paper 2: Period study and British depth study
Period study = The American West, c1835–c1895
British depth study = Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88.
Written examination: 1 hour and 55 minutes
40%* of the qualification
64 marks (32 for the period study and 32 for the British depth study)
 
Paper 3: Modern depth study- Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39
Written examination: 1 hour and 30 minutes
30%* of the qualification
52 marks

Across all papers there are four assessment objective assessed:

AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the periods studied.

AO2 Explain and analyse historical events and periods studied using second order historical concepts.

AO3 Analyse, evaluate and use sources (contemporary to the period) to make substantiated judgements, in the context of historical events studied.

AO4 Analyse, evaluate and make substantiated judgements about interpretations (including how and why interpretations may differ) in the context of historical events studied.

Other information

Where will this lead me next?
Studying History develops many transferable skills that can be applied to many different further education or career options. Studying history allows for students to:

• develop and extend their knowledge and understanding of the wide diversity of human experience
• engage in enquiries to develop as independent learners and as critical and reflective thinkers
• develop the ability to ask relevant questions, to investigate issues critically and to make valid claims by using a range of sources in their historical context
• organise and communicate knowledge and understanding in different ways and reach substantiated conclusions.

Curriculum Plans
Curriculum plans for History can be viewed from the links below.