Welcome to the History Department at Waddesdon Church of England School

Head of History

Hugh Nelson

Teachers

Penny Bushell Margaret Keith

Subject Overview
Teaching Aims and Objectives
Course Information
Marking and Assessment
Homework Policy
Department Resources
Department Policies

Subject Overview

The precise details of the History courses are outlined in the Course Information Section.

At Key Stage 3 (Years 7 and 8), students study a 1000 years of history spanning from the Norman invasion in 1066 to the development of the Cold War. A broad and balanced programme of study is offered and connections between past events and the modern world are made wherever possible. At GCSE, students study a modern world course intended to give students an understanding of the world in which they live. A Level History combines the study of early modern British history with modern German history. It is an unusual combination of topics which has proven popular with students.

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Teaching Aims and Objectives

History aims to prepare students for success in the today’s world of work by:

developing their ability to think creatively, logically and critically;
developing their ability to read for pleasure and for information;
developing their ability to read quickly, effectively and with purpose by utilising the skills of close reading, skim reading and scanning;
analysing and critically evaluating a range of information; and
communicating their ideas clearly through speaking and writing.

History aims to encourage students to be active, morally responsible citizens, able to play a full and effective role in their communities, by developing students’ emotional intelligence and attempting to engage them in the moral dilemmas of the past. History looks to encourage its students to form a personal and moral opinion about the world in which they live.

After studying their History course, students should have a general knowledge of the key events that have shaped the world at local, national and international level. This should help give students a shared cultural understanding that will help them take their place in our society.

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Course Information

Students study a broad History course at Key Stage 3. They learn about the key events that have shaped the modern world, including:

the Norman Invasion in 1066;
the religious and political conflicts during the Tudor and Stuart dynasties;
the impact of the witch-craze on society;
how the industrial revolution affected Britain and its empire;
a study of peoples’ rights and freedoms, focusing on the Slave Trade and the Nazis’ treatment of the Jews; and
why wars happen; including World War I, World War II and the Cold War.

Many students choose to continue studying History at GCSE. They follow the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) syllabus. This is a modern international course covering the following options:

Russia in Revolution, 1905-1924
Germany, 1919-1945
South Africa, 1960-1990
The United States of America, 1929-1990

Coursework:

How and why did the Village of Waddesdon change?
Evaluating an interpretation of the events on Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland

History at AS / A Level is a popular option. Students study a combination of Early Modern and Modern History. The Edexcel syllabus requires the students to study the following units:

Unit 1 The Seeds of Evil: the Rise of National Socialism in Germany to 1933
Unit 2 The King’s Faithful Servant? The Age of Wolsey, 1509-1529
Unit 3 Life in Hitler’s Germany, 1933-1339
Unit 4 Expansion and Aggression: German Foreign Policy, 1933-1939
Unit 5 The Tudor State, 1485-1603
Unit 6 Hitler and the Nazi State: Power and Control, 1933-1945

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Marking and Assessment

In History, it is not necessary to mark each piece of work completed by students in detail. However, staff do believe that it is important to mark the students’ work and to recognise the efforts that have been put into the studies.

Marking takes two forms:

Contact marking
Formative assessment

Contact marking is intended to check that all work has been completed with appropriate effort by the students. History teachers do not formally grade this work, but offer encouragement and guidance and they may edit the work or give directions about how to improve the presentation of the notes. This form of marking is meant to be light-touch and quick.

Formative assessment is intended to give specific advice to each individual student. At Key Stage 3, this form of marking is usually part of the essay- writing process. Students write an essay, are given a marking sheet and advice on how to mark their own work. This work is then marked by the teacher, who gives specific advice on how it can be improved. National Curriculum grades are used to assess these essays when they are finally submitted and the students record their progress on a personal record sheet. At GCSE and AS / A Level, essays and examination work is marked in a similar way; however, the work is marked according to the Examination Board’s marking criteria.

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Homework Policy

Students study the Welsh Joint Education Committee syllabus; History Specification A ( www.wjec.co.uk ) for their GCSE course. All students must complete the coursework tasks and the outline study unit on the USA. Students must choose two units from the depth studies on Russia in Revolution, Germany and South Africa.

This means that students are entered for one of the following examination options:

165 PN Russia in Revolution/Germany 1919-1945/USA 1929-1990
165 PQ Russia in Revolution/South Africa/USA 1929-1990
165 RF Germany 1919-1945/South Africa/USA 1929-1990

At AS / A Level, students study the Edexcel Advanced Subsidiary GCE (8264) and the Advanced GCE (9264). The unit codes are as follows:

6521 F Unit 1 The Seeds of Evil: the Rise of National Socialism in Germany to 1933
6522 A Unit 2 The King’s Faithful Servant? The Age of Wolsey, 1509-1529
6523 F Unit 3 Life in Hitler’s Germany, 1933-1339
6524 F Unit 4 Expansion and Aggression: German Foreign Policy, 1933-1939
6525 A Unit 5 The Tudor State, 1485-1603
6526 F Unit 6 Hitler and the Nazi State: Power and Control, 1933-1945

Please refer to the Edexcel website for support materials. They offer good advice for students. www.edexcel.org.uk

Department Resources

The History Department is well resourced. All teachers have access to, and use, lap tops and data projectors, making PowerPoint presentations, video clips, still images and music part of the day-to-day learning experience.

Students are given the relevant textbooks on long-term loan, allowing them to extend their learning and develop their class work. Teachers also make creative use of additional textbooks and other resources.

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Department Policies

Exercise Books

Students are issued with at least one exercise book. Staff in the History Department have high expectations and students learn to treat their work with respect. Students adhere to the following guidelines:

Exercise books must be covered in clear plastic film.
All writing must be in blue or black ink.
All work must be clearly titled and dated.
Titles and dates must be underlined using a ruler.
Diagrams and pictures must be drawn in pencil, labelled in ink, given a title and have a border drawn round them.

Writing

Students are taught to use a variety of written styles, ranging from formal extended writing to note-taking. The History Department believes that it is vital for students to be able to write effectively if they are to succeed academically. Extended writing is a key skill that helps students to develop their thinking. When writing, the following guidelines are followed:

All work must be titled.
The first line of each paragraph must be indented, and all other text should be written next to the margin.
Students must not miss a line between paragraphs.
Students should always attempt to write clearly, setting out their work with care and pride.