At St Bede’s, our intention is for our students to
- enable pupils to engage in historical enquiry, promoting the values of significance, respect and tolerance
- develop key understanding of how the world we live in has been influenced by past events and continues to influence current affairs
- develop historical awareness and the skills needed for future careers
- promote independence through historical research
- develop historiographical vocabulary and literacy
Power
In Year 7 students look at how several invasions have impacted Britain over the last 2000 years and how Medieval monarchs have asserted control over their subjects. Students will continue this in Year 8 and start to link previous examples of nobility and barons influencing policy to new power displayed by Parliament. In Year 9 students will look at alternatives power structures in the wider world with particular reference to Dictators in the modern era. All year groups will study these over common themes of race, religion and control of the population. Cause and Consequence are particularly explored.
Beliefs
In Year 7 students will investigate a range of influences on Britain and how this has led to change across several themes such as medicine, religion (including Christianity), monarchy and war pre-1500s. In Year 8, students will study challenges to common-held beliefs such as the Greater Chain of Being, Divine right of Kings, Church teachings and look at The Renaissance alternatives to previous learning. In Year 9 they will develop this and explain how changes have also been made in both the causes and the prevention of war and again look at similarities and differences to earlier examples.
Ideas
In Year 7 students will look at how the landscape and laws of Britain have been influenced by individuals and foreign interaction, with specific focus on the Islamic world, the Reformation and the Golden Age of Elizabethan England. This is built upon in Year 8 with the rationalisation of pro-slavery arguments and the Abolitionist movement in opposition, Period of Enlightenment, Scientific Revolution and Industrial Revolution. Year 9 students revisit the changes in medicine, with particular attention given to war and conflict and political ideologies such as Anti-Semitism, Communism and Fascism. Common themes across all years include businesses, trade, religion, science and education in both Britain and the wider world.
Society
In Year 7 students study the historical influences on Britain and how these differ to the Islamic World and the rivalry involved. This specifically engages religious changes through the influence of the Crusades and also the English Reformation. In Year 8 students develop their understanding of different cultures by researching Benin and other African cultures, white supremacist thought, industrial life and why there was an Abolitionist movement. Year 9 develop these ideas by linking them to patriotism/Nationalism and not only look at the Suffrage movement and Home Front in Britain but also compare to the American era of Boom and Bust and the Life under the Nazis in Germany. Change and Continuity in particular are themes explored.
Empire
In all years students will look at comparisons of colonial influence and the consequences of these. In Year 7, The Romans, Crusaders and Islam are explored; In Year 8, Elizabethan England, Hispanic domination, the British Empire and African cultures are the primary focus and in Year 9 the European attitude and American attitudes are compared and contrasted. Across all these examples, religion, language, inventions, trade, freedoms and lasting influence are all investigated.
Conflict
Across a number of wars and rebellions, students have the chance to focus on the significance of world events. In Year 7, Boudicca’s rebellion, the events of 1066, the Crusades and civil wars are taught. Year 8 students should then start to compare these to splitting up of Christendom and then by Year 9, World War One and the cause of World War Two. Not only do students have an overview of the wars but also look at resistance movements (Eleanor of Aquitaine, Magna Carta, Underground railroad, freedmen, Jacobite, Jewish and Nazi) which are vital to understanding why events progressed through a particular journey in History.
Economy
Students investigate reasons for expansion and contrast political, economic and social categories. In Year 7, students link economics with colonial attitudes and empires, such as Roman, Norman, Islamic and Tudors. Georgian attitudes towards trade and commerce are explored alongside Industrial changes in Year 8 and British and American attitudes in the Roaring Twenties revisit the concept in Year 9.
Course information
Key Stage 4
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/gcse/history-8145
Key Stage 5
https://ocr.org.uk/qualifications/as-and-a-level/history-a-h105-h505-from-2015/