History Department

Subject Outline / Aim

Theodore Roosevelt wrote ‘I believe the more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future’

It is the aim of the History department at Holy Family Catholic High School to enthuse students in their study of History and instil in them a better understanding of the world in which we live. Throughout the key stages overview and in depth studies are delivered to enable a diverse History to be taught which aims to empower students and promote reflection. Students are given the opportunity to build knowledge and understanding of historical events and trends, especially over the past century, enabling them to develop a much greater appreciation for current events today. By the end of KS3, students have an understanding of all the second order concepts necessary for success at G.C.S.E.

KS3

Topics Covered

	Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
Year 7	What is History? (The units examines through the Romans, the skills required for History)	Conquest Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?	Normanisation How did William take control?	Medieval lives Faith The Power of the Roman Catholic Church	Medieval lives Disease Protest	Reformation What will the Early Modern period be remembered for? What was Henry’s great matter? What was the Reformation?
Year 8	Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4	Half Term 5	Half Term 6
	What was the counter Reformation? What were the problems Elizabeth face? The rise and fall of the British Empire	What was the transatlantic slave trade? How has it shaped Modern Britain? What was the Triangular trade? What was the Middle Passage?	How were slaves treated? How was slavery abolished? How did the Civil Rights Movement emerge?	What was the Industrial Revolution? What was life like in Industrial Britain? How has it shaped Britain today?	How did Industrialisation affect the lives of British people? Jack the Ripper Immigration Suffrage	Why did WW1 break out? What was the contribution of the empire? How did the end of WW1 lead to the rise of Hitler?
Year 9	Half Term 1	Half Term 2	Half Term 3	Half Term 4
	How did the Holocaust happen? Depth Study (Escalation of persecution)	Did the atom bomb need to be detonated to end the Second World War? What was the Cold War? (Overview)	Medieval Medicine Who was Hippocrates and Galen? What did people believe caused disease? How were diseases treated and prevented in the Middle Ages?	Renaissance Medicine What was the cause of disease? How were diseases treated in the Renaissance period? How far had medicine developed in the Renaissance period?

Homework is set once a week.

Learning Journey Please follow the links below to see a detailed overview of History at KS3.

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

KS4

Assessment Information / Exams

At G.C.S.E the department follows Edexcel History 9-1, students are required to sit 3 papers. There are no coursework elements it is 100% exam. The papers are:

Paper 1 1 hr 15 mins

History Medicine in Britain c1250-Present

Paper 2 1 hr 45 mins

Anglo Saxon and Norman England c1060-1088

Superpower Relations and the Cold War

Paper 3 1 hr 20 mins

History Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918-1939

Learning Journey Please see for a detailed overview of History at KS4

Year 10

Year 11