GCSE History
This course aims to… |
- develop and extend knowledge and understanding of key events, periods and societies in local, British, and wider world history
- help shape independent learners as well as critical and reflective thinkers
- encourage students to ask relevant questions about the past
- explore and utilise a range of sources in their historical context
- create an awareness of why people, events and developments have been accorded historical significance, and how and why different interpretations have been constructed about them
- teach students how to organise and communicate their historical knowledge and understanding in different ways
- ignite a life-long curiosity about the past and its relevance to current world events
Why study GCSE History? |
The study of History can teach you vital skills needed for your future. Such as:
- Learning about people – How do people interact? How do different perspectives, emotions and motives cause and effect different events?
- Learning how to manage information – In today’s world, where there is a wealth of information at our fingertips, how do you sift through it all to find the vital information?
- Learning how to handle evidence – becoming familiar with a range of sources and knowing how to test their reliability and utility.
- Learning how to communicate – presenting your findings in a variety of ways, from essays and reports, to graphs and verbal presentations.
With its wide ranging skillset, History is an academic subject, highly valued by both universities and employers.
What kind of student is suitable for this course? |
Contrary to popular belief, History is not just about dates and facts. A great memory does help, but there are lots of other things that contribute to being a successful History student.
Successful History students will:
- Be intellectually curious about the past
- Be willing to engage with the subject through debate
- Be prepared to complete extended writing regularly
- Be confident to ask questions about the past
As always with written subjects, students should be prepared for regular reading around the topics chosen, as this not only increases their vocabulary but provides them with examples of how to engage in historical debate.
What career options are opened by this course? |
The skills that the study of History can teach you can open doors to a multitude of careers. History enables you to ask questions, express opinions, process information quickly, think critically and construct detailed arguments.
- Museums and Galleries
- Law
- Teaching
- Media and Journalism (Marketing, Editors and Writers)
- Politics (Local Government, Civil Service and Diplomatic Service)
- Heritage and Conservation
- The Police and Armed Forces
- Archaeology
- Architecture
Course structure |
Year 10
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
Paper 2 - British Depth Study: Early Elizabethan England, 1558-88
Year 11
Paper 2 - Period Study: Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941 – 1991
Paper 3 - Modern Depth Study: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918 – 1939
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 |
Annabel Johnstone, Head of History
Syllabus website |