What topics will my child study? 

In Kingshill’s curriculum, the initial unit in Year 7 ‘What is History’ looks at the role of a historian and introduces pupils to the core skills. Pupils, for example are able to investigate how to use interpretations and evidence. Following this, pupils will study in depth the Medieval Period in Britain from 1066AD-1485AD. The final unit covered is a study of Native American History, from the original indigenous tribes to the impacts of pioneers and puritans.

What knowledge will they have and what will they be able to do by the end of the year?

Students will be able to construct a chronology for the Medieval period from 1066AD to 1485AD including key events such as the Black Death. They will also be able to construct a chronology for the history of Native Americans, from the first settlers to the modern day.

They will develop their historical skills of using evidence and interpretations as well as how to explain the significance of key events, people or time periods.

What homework will they get?

In Year 7 History homework is based around retrieval. There are a variety of tasks that are used to test historical knowledge around the topics covered in lessons.

How will they be assessed in History?

There is a baseline assessment at the start of the year. This allows the teacher to find out the knowledge and skills that students possess as they start at Kingshill.

During the year there are regular in-class recall tests that focus on key facts taught throughout each unit.

As a parent, how can I help my child in this subject?

• Encourage them to complete homework and repeat it if they score less than 90%.
• Encourage them to read books or articles related to the historical eras being studied. There is a wealth of reading material suitable for Year 7 pupils to expand their wider historical knowledge and understanding. They could also explore history that is contemporary to the period being covered. For example, read about the Great Ming dynasty in China and compare that to the rule of Medieval Kings at the same time such as Edward III.

What topics will my child study? 

The initial unit in Year 8 involves a period study of the Tudor monarchs in Britain from Henry VII to the death of Elizabeth I in 1603AD. Following this, pupils will study the reign of the Stuart monarchs, including the causes and consequences of the Civil War in Britain. The final unit firstly looks at the political and social effects that the Industrial Revolution had on Britain. It then focuses on the rise of the British Empire and the impact of British colonial rule in India. Finally, pupils will study the growth, effect and eventual abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

What knowledge will they have and what will they be able to do by the end of the year?

Students will be able to construct a chronology from the start of the Tudor reign in 1485AD through to the end of the Victorian reign in 1901AD.

They will continue to develop their historical skills of using evidence and interpretations as well as how to explain the significance of key events, people or time periods.

What homework will they get?

In Year 8 History homework is based around retrieval. There are a variety of tasks that are used to test historical knowledge around the topics covered in lessons. These also will refer back to work covered in Year 7.

How will they be assessed in History?

During the year there are regular in-class recall tests that focus on key facts taught throughout each unit. These will link with the homework recall tasks that are set.

As a parent, how can I help my child in this subject?

• Encourage them to complete homework and repeat it if they score less than 90%.
• Encourage them to read books or articles related to the historical eras being studied. There is a wealth of reading material suitable for Year 8 pupils to expand their wider historical knowledge and understanding. They could also explore history that is contemporary to the period being covered. For example, read about the fall of the Aztecs following the Spanish-Aztec war in 1519AD to 1521AD at the same time as learning about the Reformation of the church during the reign of Henry VIII.

What topics will my child study? 

The initial unit in Year 9 involves a study of World War I covering topics such as: the causes of the war, propaganda and the conditions faced by soldiers at the Western Front. This is followed by a unit on World War II including: the Versailles Treaty, failures of the League of Nations as well as a detailed sequence of lessons about the Holocaust. The final unit focuses on post-war history to the modern day.

What knowledge will they have and what will they be able to do by the end of the year?

Students will be able to construct a chronology from the start of World War I through to the modern day.

They will further develop their historical skills of using evidence and interpretations as well as how to explain the significance of key events, people or time periods.

What homework will they get?

In Year 9 History homework is based around retrieval. There are a variety of tasks that are used to test historical knowledge around the topics covered in lessons. These tasks will also refer back to work covered in Years 7 and 8.

How will they be assessed in History?

During the year there are regular in-class recall tests that focus on key facts taught throughout each unit. These will link with the homework recall tasks that are set.

As a parent, how can I help my child in this subject?

• Encourage them to complete homework and repeat it if they score less than 90%.
• Encourage them to read books or articles related to the historical eras being studied. There is a wealth of reading material suitable for Year 9 pupils to expand their wider historical knowledge and understanding. They could also explore history that is contemporary to the period being covered. For example, read about Ernest Shackleton’s famous voyages to the Antarctic at the same time as learning about the experiences of soldiers fighting in the Battle of the Somme in 1916AD.

What topics will my child study? 

We study the AQA History course which is assessed over two examinations at the end of Year 11.

We specifically focus on paper 2 during Year 10. The first unit covered is Britain, Health and the People (Thematic Study). This study will enable students to gain an understanding of how medicine and public health developed in Britain over a long period of time. It considers the causes, scale, nature and consequences of short and long-term developments, evaluating their impact on British society. The second unit in paper 2 is a study of the reign of Elizabeth I (British Depth Study). The unit focuses on major events of Elizabeth I’s reign considered from economic, religious, political, social and cultural standpoints.

What knowledge will they have and what will they be able to do by the end of the year?

Students will have a detailed chronology of the history of medicine, from 1066AD to the modern day. They will also have a detailed chronology of the reign of Elizabeth I, from her accession in 1558 until her death in 1603. The Elizabeth unit also includes a compulsory study of a historical site relating to the period. Sites change each year and have included famous buildings such as Hardwick Hall and the Globe Theatre.

They will develop their historical skills of using evidence and interpretations as well as how to explain the significance of key events, people or time periods.

What homework will they get?

In Year 10 History homework is based around retrieval. There are a variety of tasks that are used to test historical knowledge around the topics covered in lessons.

How will they be assessed in History?

During the year there are regular in-class recall tests that focus on key facts taught throughout each unit. These will link with the homework recall tasks that are set. Throughout the year there are regular in class tests that focus on the knowledge and skills taught during Years 10 and at Key Stage 3.

As a parent, how can I help my child in this subject?

• Encourage them to complete homework and repeat it if they score less than 90%.
• Encourage them to read books or articles related to the historical eras being studied. There is a wealth of reading material suitable for Year 10 pupils to expand their wider historical knowledge and understanding.
• The reading and listening lists are good ways to encourage particular interests around the topics we have studied.

What topics will my child study? 

We study the AQA History course, specifically focusing on paper 1 during Year 11. The first unit covered is Conflict and Tension during the Interwar period from 1918AD to 1939AD (Wider World Depth Study). This unit covers the diverse interests of different individuals and states including the Great Powers. It looks at concepts such as national self-determination, ideas of internationalism and the challenges of revising the peace settlement as well as focusing in detail on the main causes of the World War II. The final GCSE unit covered is Germany: Democracy and Dictatorship from 1890AD to 1945AD (Period Study). This focuses on the development of Germany during a turbulent half century of change. Students will study the development and collapse of democracy in Germany following the World War I as well as the rise and fall of Nazism.

What knowledge will they have and what will they be able to do by the end of the year?

Students will have a detailed understanding of the chronology of the Interwar period and a developed understanding of the causes of World War II. They will also have a detailed understanding of the History of Germany, from its unification in 1890AD through to the end of World War II in 1945AD.

They will develop their historical skills of using evidence and interpretations as well as how to explain the significance of key events, people or time periods.

What homework will they get?

In Year 11 History homework is based around retrieval. There are a variety of tasks that are used to test historical knowledge around the topics covered in lessons. Throughout the year there are regular in class tests that focus on the knowledge and skills taught during Years 10 and 11 and at Key Stage 3. There is a mock exam in November that gives students an experience of what the examination will be like.

How will they be assessed in History?

During the year there are regular in-class recall tests that focus on key facts taught throughout each unit. These will link with the homework recall tasks that are set.

As a parent, how can I help my child in this subject?

• Encourage them to complete homework and repeat it if they score less than 90%.
• Encourage them to read books or articles related to the historical eras being studied. There is a wealth of reading material suitable for Year 11 pupils to expand their wider historical knowledge and understanding.
• The reading and listening lists are good ways to encourage particular interests around the topics we have studied.

Wider Reading, Watching and Listening

Reading is one of the best ways to develop a wider knowledge of History. Also, listening to podcasts is increasingly useful for learning about a broad number of History topics in more detail. Most of these are easy to search for using a podcasts app.

All the recommendations below are aimed at older students, suitable for those in Year 9 and above in particular who choose to study GCSE History.

Britain Health and People:

Wider Reading

Medicine: A Magnificently Illustrated History (Briony Hudson) – A very easy read with interesting images.

Faces From the Front: Harold Gillies (Andrew Bamji) – A great book about pioneering plastic surgeon Harold Gillies.

Wider Listening

Podcast – ‘You’re Dead To Me’. This is a funny and interesting set of podcasts covering a wealth of different topics. Some of the good medicine ones include ‘Medieval Science’.

Podcast – ‘Dan Snows’ History Hit’. Again, these are very accessible listening, although some require a subscription. There are many for medicine including ‘The Creation of the NHS’.

Podcast – ‘In Our Time’ This is the most advanced podcast which often requires prior knowledge of the subjects but they are excellent. There are many which discuss aspects of medicine such as the ones on: Roger Bacon, Bedlam and the Great Stink.

Wider Watching

There are many programs and videos covering aspects of medicine. These include:

You Tube - 30 minute documentary on Islamic medicine – called ‘Science in a Golden Age – Al-Razi, Ibn Sina and the Canon of Medicine’

You Tube – Documentary series (1 hour each) called ‘Pain, Pus and Poison’. All episodes are interesting and a little gory! Great for surgery lessons.

You Tube – History File series called ‘Medicine Through Time’ There are 5 programs in total, 25 minutes each. These are great for the course although they are a little old.

You Tube – BBC Teach Medicine Through Time clips – there are many of these covering many of the main individuals covered in the course.

Elizabeth:

Wider Reading

Dangerous Days in Elizabethan England: Thieves, Tricksters, Bards and Bawds (Terry Deary) – A really interesting fact book about the Elizabethan Era which reads like a novel.

The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England (Ian Mortimer) – A great book which really explores what life was like for people during the Elizabethan England.

Elizabeth the Queen (Alison Weir) – Some challenging language used but covers the whole of the Elizabethan reign.

Wider Listening

Audio Book – ‘In Search of a Kingdom: Francis Drake, Elizabeth I and the Perilous Birth of the British Empire – A detailed account of many aspects of Elizabeth’s reign relating to voyages.

Podcast – ‘The Rest is History’ Another great podcast series presented by two historians. Some of the content can be challenging so it is better to have prior knowledge before listening. One of the best examples is their podcast simply called ‘Elizabeth I’

Podcast – ‘You’re Dead To Me’. There are several good Elizabeth ones including ‘Grainne O’Malley’.

Podcast – ‘Dan Snows’ History Hit’. There is a really good podcast called ‘Life in Tudor England’ which covers many aspects of the Elizabethan period.

Podcast – ‘In Our Time’ Again there are several podcasts here but they are the most advanced. Some good ones are ‘William Cecil’ and ‘Mary, Queen of Scots’

Wider Watching

There have been many films and documentaries about Elizabeth I. No film is perfect but the ones listed below include many accurate details of her reign.

Block Buster Film: Elizabeth (staring Cate Blanchett)

Block Buster Film: Elizabeth: The Golden Age (this is the sequel to the film above covering the later part of Elizabeth’s reign)

Block Buster Film: Mary, Queen of Scots (staring Saoirse Ronan)

You Tube Documentary: Elizabeth series presented by David Starkey. This is an excellent four-part series, all on You Tube.

You Tube Documentary: Empire of the Seas the first part of this series contains a great overview of the Spanish Armada.

Conflict and Tension and Germany

There is a lot of overlap between both of these topics so the reading and watch lists will cover both units.

Wider Reading

Travellers in the Third Reich and A Village in the Third Reich (Julia Boyd) – A modern historian’s perspective of what it was to like to live in Nazi Germany.

The Book Thief (Markus Zusak) - One of the most celebrated novels in recent years. A fictional story of life for young people in Nazi Germany. Moderately easy to read, illustrated.

The Complete MAUS (Art Spiegelman) - Graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize, MAUS is a brutally moving work of art about a Holocaust survivor -- and the son who survives him.

The Escape Artist (Jonathan Freedland) – Tells the true story of Rudolf Vrba who escaped Auschwitz and tried to tell the tale of Jewish persecution to the world.

Wider Listening

BBC Radio Series - Nazis: The Road to Power. This is an excellent series of episodes retelling the whole of the Nazi period including some dramatised recreations.

Podcast – ‘The Rest is History’ There are many podcasts covering aspects of the Nazi regime including the Munich Putsch and the Night of the Long Knives. There are also a series of episodes that focus on the rise of the Nazis and Hitler becoming dictator of Germany.

Wider Watching

You Tube Documentary – World War II in Colour: Episode 1 – The Gathering Storm. This is an excellent overview of the whole of the Interwar unit.

Block Buster Film – Jo Jo Rabbit. This tells the story of a young member of the Hitler Youth who finds his Mum is protecting a Jew in their attic. The young boy, Johannes “Jojo” Betzler has to then confront his own nationalist ideas.

Block Buster Film – The Book Thief. This is the same story told by the book by Markus Zusak. It is a good adaptation although many say the book is better.

Series – Hitler: The Rise of Evil. This is a brilliant two part series staring Robert Carlyle. The first half is particularly good and charts Hitler’s rise to power.

You Tube – The Nazis: A Warning From History. A series of six programs covering the Nazi period. The first two ‘Helped into Power’ and ‘Chaos and Consent’ are particularly good. Some of the language is quite high level but the footage is excellent.

You Tube – History File series called ‘Nazi Germany’ There are 5 programs in total, 25 minutes each. These are great for the course although they are a little old.