Skip to content ↓

Eggar’s School

01420 541194

History

Welcome to the History Department 
2022 - 2023
'The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.'  Winston Churchill

Miss Sarah Hopkins
Curriculum Leader

The Team:    

Mrs Louise Smith                       Teacher of History
Mrs Clare Daish                           Assistant Head Teacher / Teacher of History
Miss Chantelle Drakard         Teacher of History

Introduction to the Department

At Eggar’s School the History department balances historical knowledge with the use of historical skills. We study History through a mixture of chronological, thematic and depth study courses. This enables pupils to compare topics carefully and across chronology.

Key Stage 3

 

Autumn Term

Spring Term

Summer Term

YEAR 7

Y7 Through Time
&
Church vs The World

The Shaping of Britain
&
Freedoms and Rights

The American West

YEAR 8

Pirates to Profiteers
&
Colonies to Coal

Warfare & Society

Mao’s China
&
Cleaning up Britain

Assessment at Key Stage 3

Students will be regularly assessed in History throughout the periods studied. These will be through a combination of longer written answers and tasks completed in class. The assessments will be focused on key historical skills:  

  • Cause and consequence
  • Change and continuity
  • Chronology
  • Diversity
  • Interpretation
  • Significance
  • Similarity and difference
  • Use of historical evidence

Key Stage 4

The History Department follow the Edexcel 9-1 specification at GCSE. The topics taught are explained below.

 

Topic

Key Content

PAPER ONE

This is a thematic study which requires students to understand change and continuity across a long sweep of history, including the most significant characteristics of different ages from the medieval to modern periods. Students also have to look at an historical environment linked to the thematic study and focused on a site in its historical context

Crime and Punishment in Britain C1000 – present AND Whitechapel, c.1870-1900: crime, policing and the inner city. 

(30% of final grade)

Written exam – 1 hour 15 minutes

For each time period students will need to consider the following information:

  • Nature and changing definitions of criminal activity.
  • The nature of law enforcement and punishment.
  • Case study from the time period

PAPER TWO

Paper Two is divided into two sections. Students will look at a British depth study (Henry VIII and his ministers) and a period study (the Cold War.)

Superpower Relations and the Cold War, 1941-91

(20% of the final grade – Paper two is divided into two sections, 20% each)

Written exam – 1 hour 45 minutes

The period study focuses on a period of at least 50 years and requires students to understand the events and issues of the period.

Key areas to be covered are:

  • The origins of the Cold War, 1941-91
  • Cold War crises, 1958-70
  • The end of the Cold War, 1970-71

Early Elizabethan England

(20% of the final grade – Paper two is divided into two sections, 20% each)

Written exam 1 hour 45 minutes

The British depth study requires students to look at the Elizabeth’s early reign from 1558 to 1888 focusing on her government, challenges she faced and the age of exploration.   Key topics include:

  • Queen, government and religion
  • Challenges from home and abroad
  • Society in the age of exploration

PAPER THREE

This is a modern depth study which looks in detail at a key period of history

Germany 1918-1939 (30% of final grade)
Written exam – 1 hour 20 minutes

Key areas to be covered are: 

  • The Weimar Republic, 1918-1929.
  • Hitler’s rise to power, 1919-33
  • Nazi control of dictatorship, 1933-39
  • Life in Nazi Germany, 1933-39.

Assessment at Key Stage Four

Students will be regularly assessed with past paper questions both in class and at home. Throughout the three years there will be mock exams given to help students prepare for their GCSE’s at the end of Year 11.

Supporting History at home

  • Keep up to date with and discuss current affairs – what is happening in the news? Is this a new problem or can it be traced back in time?
  • Encourage further interest in topics – what documentaries could they watch to further their knowledge? Are there local places of interest that are linked?
  • Reading widely and with interest – have they read the Horrible Histories series? How useful is historical fiction? Please see the Historical Association reading list for some suggestions.
  • Visit and enjoy trips to places of historic significance – what history is on your doorstep? Is it important to preserve items/buildings from the past?
  • Encourage active revision – do they know how to create flash cards? Which topics do they need to prioritise? Please see the Active Revision in History handout for more information on revision within the History curriculum.
  • Emphasise recall opportunities – what did they learn today? How many key dates/individual can they identify? Using GCSEPod, Seneca and BBC Bitesize all offer additional retrieval practise.

Extra Curricular Opportunities

The History department believe that trips are an opportunity to bring History to life and are looking forward to offering the following:

Year 7: Hampton Court Palace.
Year 8: Science Museum, London.
Year 9: World War One Belgium battlefields residential.
Year 10: The Tower of London.
Year 11: Jack The Ripper Walking Tour.

Cookie Policy