History

History is offered as a subject which a majority of our students are very interested in; whether that
be as part of the local area, on a national level or even in understanding the role of Britain in the
modern world…
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4

At KS3, we are able to offer around 20 topic areas across Years 7-9 (used flexibly due to mixed year
group provisions and constant changes / altering groups) which each allow students to work on the
core skills required by the secondary school historian:

  • Chronology, causation and consequence / impact
  • The use of sources and interpretations
  • How we measure and ascertain continuity and change
  • The importance of historical significance

Whilst many of the topics that we offer and cover are expected on the KS3 curriculum across the
country, we have also been able to offer more bespoke options ranging from the Norman Conquest
of England after 1066 to the Elizabethan Golden Age of the 1580s and 1590s; from the Industrial
Revolution and the situation around poverty, disease and squalor in the City of York to the rise of the
Nazi Party in Germany and the importance of the Home Front during the Second World War.

At Key Stage 4, we officially follow the AQA specification GCSE History and for the most part offer the
following core topics:

  • Paper 1 – America 1920-73 and Conflict and tension between the East and West 1945-72
  • Paper 2 – Norman England c.1066-1100 and Power and the People c.1100-present day

However, due to our role as Day 6 provider across the City of York for those students permanently
excluded from school, we are also able to facilitate both Edexcel and OCR GCSE History courses
(which are also taught across the secondary schools of the city).

Ways to help support learning:
  • Keep a keen interest in the world we live in; follow the news, question what is going in our
    city, country and across the world,
  • Read and carry out research on areas of historical interest,
  • Find out about the house you live in, your family history and any connections to events from
    the past,
  • Watch historical films, documentaries and accounts telling the stories of the past.
Helpful websites: