History
Curriculum Intent
We aim to ensure that students have a great appreciation and understanding of how past events have shaped the world around us today. As well as building up students' knowledge and understanding of key historical events and people, they will be given the opportunity to hone valuable skills that they can use in and outside History. These include analysing and interpreting sources as evidence; forming balanced and substantive arguments based on their own opinions; understanding a range of topics, and being able to clearly explain how and why things happen.
In order to effectively prepare students as historians, we follow a broad and balanced curriculum that allows students the opportunity to develop a stronger chronological understanding of British and world history whilst improving their historical skills in Key Stage 3. This, ultimately, will better prepare them for Key Stage 4.
Year 7 Curriculum
In Year 7, students are introduced to key historical skills that will help them to succeed over the next five years. In our first Cycle of work, Medicine Through Time, students study changes to treatment and public health over a thousand- year period, whilst developing their understanding of chronology and how and why treatments and public health changed. They will also develop their writing skills, focusing on the key skills of describe, explain, and outlining change over time. Students will also develop some basic source skills. In our second Cycle of work, on Life in the Medieval period, students look at how and why the Norman Conquest was successful and what life was like for ordinary people. Students will further develop and build on the skills acquired in Cycle 1, whilst developing their ability to analyse and evaluate historical interpretations. In our third Cycle of work, on the Tudor period, students look at the religious changes made by the Tudor monarchs and what life was like for ordinary people. Whilst building on the skills acquired in Cycles 1 and 2, students will also further develop their source skills by analysing the reliability of historical sources. Throughout the course of their first year at Fullhurst, students will receive a wealth of information relating to history from 500AD- 1700. They will develop a strong chronological understanding and will develop skills relating to historical interpretations, historical sources, source reliability and explaining their arguments.
Year 8 Curriculum
In Year 8, students broaden their understanding of British and world history further by studying events from the 17th century to the 20th century. In our first Cycle of learning, students study the colonies of the British Empire and consider the impact and legacy of the Empire. Students will look at the case study of the British Raj whilst also considering the impact of the empire in the Americas, Africa and Australia. In this Cycle, students will build upon the skills acquired in Year 7, whilst also beginning to develop the skill of analysing the significance of historical events/people. In Cycle 2, students go on to study Britain’s role in the Slave Trade, the impact that this had on the USA, and the African- American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. In this Cycle, students will continue to build on previous skills acquired, with a particular focus on analysing the significance of events/people and outlining change over time. Students will end the year in Cycle 3 studying the Industrial Revolution. Key areas of focus are on the use of child labour in factories, what industrial towns were like, and crime and punishment in this period, with a focus on the case of Jack the Ripper. In this Cycle, students will continue to build on skills acquired in previous Cycles, with a particular focus on source reliability and historical interpretations. In their second year at Fullhurst, students will continue to develop their chronological understanding and will further develop skills relating to historical interpretations, historical sources, significance and reliability.
Year 9 Curriculum
In Year 9, students broaden their understanding of British and world history further by studying events of the 20th century. In our first Cycle of learning, students will study World War One and the Inter-War Years. Topics include: the causes of WW1, life in the trenches, the Battle of the Somme, and key events occurring in-between the two world wars, such as women’s suffrage. Students will build on the skills acquired in Year 7 and 8, with a particular focus on source reliability and historical interpretations. In Cycle 2, students go on to study World War Two and the Holocaust. Topics include: Hitler’s rise to power, the use of ghettos and concentration camps leading onto the causes of WW2, the bombing of Dresden, life on the home front and the development of the atomic bomb. Students will continue to build on the historical skills acquired thus far during their time at Fullhurst, with a particular focus on analysing the purpose of historical sources and historical interpretations. Students will end the year in Cycle 3 studying Post-war Leicester (local study), and the Cold War focusing on events such as the Berlin Airlift, Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. Students will continue to build on the historical skills acquired throughout KS3, with a particular focus on source reliability, analysing the significance of events/people, and outlining change over time. In their third year at Fullhurst, students will continue to develop their chronological understanding and will further develop skills relating to historical interpretations, historical sources, significance, reliability and purpose.
At KS4, students follow the Eduqas GCSE History qualification. They study a broad range of topics from British, European and World history covering over 1000 years. This qualification will enable students to further develop and use skills previously obtained in KS3.
Year 10 Curriculum
In Year 10, students will deepen their knowledge and understanding of 20th century history from Year 9 by studying the following topics:
- Germany in Transition 1919-1939 (looking at the impact of WW1 on Germany, the successes and weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, Hitler’s rise to power and consolidation of power, life in Nazi Germany, and Hitler’s foreign policy)
- The Elizabethan Age 1558-1603 (looking at Elizabeth I’s government, social problems including poverty, the Elizabethan theatre, the Religious Settlement, and religious problems from Catholics (including the Spanish Armada) and Puritans)
- The Development of the USA 1929-2000 (looking at the impact of the Wall Street Crash, Roosevelt’s New Deal, the impact of WW2 on the US economy, social and political changes in the USA, Cold War rivalry, and US attempts to find peace after 1970)
Year 11 Curriculum
In Years 11, students will study the following topics, allowing them to revisit and deepen knowledge gained in Years 7 and 8:
- Crime and Punishment Throughout Time 500AD-Present (looking at the causes and types of crime, ways to enforce law and order and methods of/attitudes towards punishment over three time periods: Medieval, Early-Modern, and Modern. Students will also study an historical site: Lincoln Castle Gaol)
- Students complete the Eduqas GCSE course by taking one examination for each topic at the end of Year 11. Both the Elizabeth and Germany examinations last one hour each, whilst the USA examination lasts 45-minutes and the Crime examination lasts for 1 hour and 15- minutes.
*This is dependent of the year of the examination. For example, examinations in 2024 and 2025 have Lincoln Castle Gaol as the historical site to be studied.
Extra-curricular information
The History department support the skills enrichment programme by organising the following trips for students:
Black Country Museum, Dudley
Newark Air Museum, Newark
Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester
Hitler on Trial theatre visit, Leicester
Elizabeth I theatre visit, Leicester