History

“A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.”

Head of Department:  Mr C Rance

The History curriculum at Gumley House provides students with a combination of key disciplinary and substantive knowledge to enable learners to be open to the wider world around them and develop students into empathetic young people.  History provides students with skills that are desirable both in and out of the workplace. It is highly regarded for such careers as law, journalism, civil service, archaeology and media.  A great emphasis is placed on students being able to write about their ideas, develop logical arguments and independently research from a range of evidence.  In an age of information overload, the ability to recognise and evaluate bias is a real skill and one which is uniquely developed in the History curriculum at Gumley House School.

CURRICULUM DOCUMENTS (History)

The curriculum is designed to reflect the diversity of our student body; from exploring belief systems of indigenous peoples to the causes of 21^st century conflict and tension, students benefit from a broad and balanced approach to History which encourages understanding of all individuals and cultures.  The pursuit of History at Gumley broadens our students’ understandings of the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change over time and its links to modern society, as well as unravelling the diversity within society and the relationships between different groups.  History allows students to interlink the challenges of the present with those of the past and, in doing so, immerse themselves within the culture of the time.  

The powerful knowledge imparted through the History curriculum ensures students have the opportunity to become more confident, creative, resilient and critical thinkers.  Through the critical evaluation of contemporary sources and historian’s interpretations, students are given powerful knowledge.  Students develop the confidence to undertake self-directed learning and pose their own questions and formulate their own opinions, which is a key focus of the curriculum. The ability to evaluate a source’s purpose, limitation or context is a theme which is repeated in both key stages and a major thread throughout the History curriculum. 

At Key Stage 3 students study History for 2 lessons per week, and at Key Stage 4, 3 lessons every week.

Students studying History are equipped with second-order concepts including; change and continuity, cause and consequence, significance, similarity and differences.  With these skills students will be able to analyse, explain and understand the past, whilst also developing transferable skills helping them to become well rounded individuals and improve employability. Through the development of the language of the past, students become effective communicators of the present. Students study a wide range of historical periods from medieval to modern day, and study the past from a variety of standpoints to make connections and comparisons over time. Throughout both key stages, spaced recall and retrieval practice increases student’s confidence.  At Key Stage 4, students develop a greater depth of knowledge and skill, building on the skills and foundation knowledge of Key Stage 3. 

To further develop knowledge, History at Gumley offers a range of experiences outside the classroom environment. Past experiences have included a Key Stage 3 visit to see both Hampton Court and the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels and evaluate the personalities and limitations of different British monarchs.  We also accompany a cross curricular visit with the Religious Education Department to Rome as well as facilitating various trips which enable participating students to experience the trenches of World War I first hand; handle contemporary artefacts and reflect upon the landscape of war.  Above all else, the emphasis at Gumley House is empowering students to learn from the mistakes of the past in order to make them reflective citizens of the future.

History in Key Stage 3

At Key Stage 3 we establish the core historical concepts of cause and consequence, change and continuity, chronology, significance and diversity. We aim to do this by looking at enquiry based topics.

Through assessments we establish the historical skills which students will need the further they take history, including source analysis, essay writing and developing substantiated opinions.

• Beginning in Year 7 we look at periods of history where we can build an understanding of the importance of historiography, evidence, significance and the story of human beings.
• In Year 8 we look in depth at specific human events which have had a lasting impact on the world we live in today.
• In Year 9 we concentrate on preparing our students for GCSE and the rigours of knowledge acquisition.

The curriculum is diverse and attempts to look at a variety of different perspectives of history.

History in Key STage 4

• At GCSE we follow the Edexcel/Pearson exam curriculum.  This qualification is designed to engage students with a broad and diverse study of the history of Britain and the wider world, and give them skills that will support progress to the further study of history.

  The qualification is made up of four elements which are assessed through three exam papers.  In the Thematic Study we look at Crime and Punishment since c1000.  This includes a study of the historic environment, raising awareness of the part this plays in our lives.  Our chosen ‘period’ study, on the Cold War, allows students to see how the world we live in was shaped.  The British Depth Study on the reign of Elizabeth I, helps students see how a Golden Age in our history developed.  Finally, our non-British Study on Germany develops students techniques when dealing with interpretations in History.

  The course has been designed to cover change and continuity, significance and diversity.

History in Key Stage 5

History at A Level hones the historical skills and applies them to two specific topics which are studied throughout the two years:

• The making of a superpower: USA, 1865 - 1975
• Making of modern Britain 1951-2007

A-level students become experts in these two topics gaining confidence to really excel and use historical evidence to become critical thinkers. They will be analysing and evaluating sources and historical interpretations as well as being proficient in extended writing, debating and reasoning.  20% of their final grade is earnt from their NEA which is usually looked at during Year 13 to maximise their historical skills

For more information on the content of History at Key Stage 5, please visit our Sixth Form Course Guide.

Where can History take me?

History students will gain skills highly valued by employers and universities, such as analytical and critical reasoning, oral and written communication and research skills that can lead into a whole range of subjects for further study. History students may go on to study; law, classics, politics, economics, the public sector, business management and finance religious studies, international relations and many more, as well as further study of History at A-level and degree level where students can specialise in more specific historical periods. Passionate Historians may continue to work in an area more directly related to the subject, such as; archaeologist, teacher, research historian, and politics.