Key Stage 3
Year 7
The year starts with a study of British and world history from the Norman invasion of 1066 up to the Tudor Period. Students investigate the Battle of Hastings, life in Medieval England, religion and disease, and the Tudor reign up to the death of Elizabeth I. Students also have the opportunity to learn about world history during this time. They study the reign of Mansa Musa in North Africa and about the impact that immigration had on the Medieval and Tudor periods. Towards the end of their Year 7 studies, students will complete a homework research task on the history of Newcastle and the surrounding area and will design and make a presentation based on their findings.
Year 8
In Year 8 students continue their chronological studies by learning about the Stuart period. Topics include the Gunpowder Plot and the Great Fire of London, the Industrial Revolution and the causes, events and consequences of World War I.
Year 9
Year 9 students continue their studies of the 20th Century by learning about comparative history. They study what happened between the two World Wars in four different countries; Britain, the USA, Russia and Germany. These studies include topics such as the General Strike, the Suffragists and Suffragettes, the reasons and consequences of the economic Boom in the USA, the reasons and consequences for the Russian Revolution, and the rise of the Nazis in Germany. They then study the main turning points in World War II and the Holocaust. In Year 9, there is a major focus on the development of skills required for GCSE.
Key Stage 4
Years 10 and 11
We follow the AQA GCSE specification, which comprises:
- America: Opportunity and Inequality. (1920-1973): Students learn about the reasons for the economic boom of the 1920’s and the social and cultural changes this brought about. They study the Great Depression and America’s role in World War II as well as the 2nd economic boom of the 1950’s, the Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s and the social expansion of rights such as the Women’s Rights movement.
- The Cold War (1945-1972): topics include the Berlin Airlift, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the wars in Korea and Vietnam.
- Norman England (1066-1100): students learn about the changes the Normans brought to England, up until the death of William II.
- Britain: Health and the people (c1000-presents day.) This is a thematic study covering over a thousand years of medical history. Students begin with the work of Hippocrates and Galen, moving through four different periods of history: the medieval period, the Renaissance, 18th and 19th Century, and finally the 20th century.
Students will be examined in two exams at the end of Year 11.
To find out more please get in touch with the Head of History, Richard Ayre on Richard.Ayre@northgosforth.co.uk