Why study History?
• The content! We cover a range of intellectually stimulating topics and look at a variety of time periods and regions throughout our courses. Although reading and writing essays are a key part of Historical study, we also encourage students to learn in other fashions – our mock trial of Guido Fawkes in Year 8 being a prime example. There should be something to interest everyone!
• The challenge! History is widely regarded by universities and employers alike because it is academically demanding and encourages students to read widely and think creatively and analytically about what is being studied.
• The opportunities! Contrary to popular legend, History graduates are not merely confined to becoming History teachers later in life. History offers a range of (well-paid) career opportunities, from law to the civil service and politics, from business and finance to the media. A range of well known people in diverse fields have studied History at university, including (for starters) Gordon Brown, Anita Roddick, Jeremy Bowen, Michael Mansfield QC, and Sacha Baron Cohen! Girls in the school who go on to study Medicine have found History to be an acceptable additional subject within their range of A-levels.
• The results! Our results are outstanding, as you can see below. We also run a range of lunchtime intervention sessions to help our Year 11 students fulfil their potential, and organise trips to revision conferences for our Sixth Form students.
GCSE 2008
Over 70% of girls scored A* or A, with 98% of girls achieving A*-C.
AS 2008
A – 14; B – 4; C – 6; D – 1
A Level 2008
A – 11; B – 4; C - 1
History at KEHS
- There are four full-time members of the History Department.
- The department also offers Government and Politics at A-Level – please see the Politics section of the school website for for further information.
- See below for the content studied at all levels of the school
Year 7 - 3 hrs per fortnight - Medieval Realms 1066-1500; Islamic Civilisations; The Renaissance
Year 8 - 3 hrs per fortnight - Tudor and Stuart England; Black Peoples of the Americas
Year 9 - 3 hrs per fortnight - The British Empire; The Industrial Revolution; Experiences of War
GCSE
AQA Specification A - Schools History Project- 4 hours per fortnight
Study in Development (Exam) - Medicine and Public Health Through Time
Study in Depth (Exam) - Germany 1918-1945
History Around Us (Controlled Assessment) - A local study of Blakesley Hall
A-Level
Edexcel - 9 Hours per fortnight
AS Unit 1 (Exam) - Russia in Revolution, 1881-1924; Mao’s China, 1949-1976
AS Unit 2 (Exam) - Britain, c.1860-1930: The Changing Position of Women and the Suffrage Question
A2 Unit 3 (Exam) - A World Divided: Superpower Relations,1944-1990
A2 Unit 4 (Coursework) - Dictatorship and Revolution in Russia and the Soviet Union, 1825-2000
History Trips and Extra-Curricular Activities
In the History Department, we firmly believe in the value of trips to support learning, and in providing lasting, memorable experiences for all students.We run a wide range of trips within the department, both within the UK and abroad.
- November 2008 - Year 7 to Ludlow Castle and town.
- December 2008 - Year 9 to Birmingham Back-to-Back houses.
- February 2009 - Year 12 to London for Women in Britain revision conference.
- March 2009 - Year 13 to London for Cold War revision conference.
- June 2009 - Year 8 to Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool.
- June 2009 - Year 10 to Blakesley Hall, Yardley, as part of GCSE Coursework.
- July 2009 - Years 10/11/12 – 3 day visit to Krakow and Auschwitz.
In addition, we also run a trip to the First World War Battlefields for years 9 and 10 in alternate years (next trip in Summer 2010). In the past, we have also taken students to Normandy and St. Petersburg.
Extra-Curricular activities
In terms of extra-curricular activities, History Club runs every fortnight for Key Stage 3 students. This gives them the opportunity to explore additional topics from outside of our curriculum, and to enrich their understanding of those they have studied. It is open to all students from Years 7 to 9.
