Why Study History?

History is about people – the GCSE course offers students the opportunity to discover the lives of people in Britain over the last millennia. This includes understanding the way in which Britain was changed forever by the Norman invasion and how society was transformed by various governments’ responses to shifting religious attitudes, fluctuating qualities of life and crime.

Students will also have the opportunity to look at people from around the world who had diverse and fascinating experiences. This includes revealing the lives of Native Americans and the clash of cultures which followed as white Americans began to settle on the American Plains. Finally, the challenges of economic crises and dictatorship will be covered through a study of life in Weimar Germany and how the Nazis were able to rise to power in that context.  

 

Content: Edexcel History

Thematic study and historic environment – Crime and Punishment in Britain c1000 – present and Whitechapel, 1870-1900: crime, policing and the inner city

Period study and British depth study – The American West c1835-c1895 and Anglo-Saxon England the Norman Conquest, c1060-88

Modern Depth Study – Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39

 

Assessment

Candidates will be assessed with three examinations at the end of the two years of study.

Paper One: 1 hour 15 minutes (30%) Thematic Study (Crime and Punishment in Britain) and the historic environment (Whitechapel).

Paper Two: 1 hour 45 minutes (40%) Period Study (The American West) and the British depth study (Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest).

Paper Three 1 hour 20 minutes (30%) Modern Depth Study (Weimar and Nazi Germany).

Students will not only benefit from the knowledge they acquire studying their History GCSE they will also hone their skills of spoken and written communication. An essential element of the qualification also involves reflecting on historical documents and subsequent interpretations as well as considering the nature of change over time, why historical events take place and the experiences of different groups of people in various contexts. The critical thinking skills that the course provides are highly valued by employers and universities and a good History GCSE will be an asset to students’ CVs for the rest of their lives.