History is a fascinating subject, full of interesting people, places, events and colourful stories about the lives of others before us. It is the belief of the department that the subject should be brought to life with a stimulating classroom experience, coupled with appropriate visits to sites of historical importance. Recent visits have included castles, museums, the National Archives, living history centres, and trips overseas to the French battlefields.
Knowing about the past is an amazing and very rewarding study that offers a window on different times and places. Sharing our heritage is essential to the education of every child if we are to develop our students into mature, considerate adults, capable of forming their own opinions and making decisions about their life with authority and understanding.
Many of our students at St. George’s go on to study History at University where they complete Undergraduate and Post-Graduate qualifications to further enhance their skills, deepen their knowledge and satisfy their interests. Even for those that do not continue with the subject after they leave school, History can support understanding in other curriculum areas by providing a context and perspective for further study.
Key Stage 3
Students study the following:
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Key Stage 4
Students follow the Edexcel 9-1 syllabus. Among the topics covered are: Crime and punishment in Britain, c1000–present and Whitechapel, c1870-c1900: crime, policing and the inner city. Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88, Superpower relations and the Cold War, 1941–91, Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39.
Assessment is provided by three examination papers in the summer term of the second year of study.
Key Stage 5
The department offers the AQA specification. Assessment is by examination and coursework. Topics covered are: The Wars of the Roses, 1450–1499 / Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855–1964
In addition to these examined units, students produce a personal investigation into an aspect of German history between 1848 and 1948.
The department also offers A Level Government and Politics. This gives sixth form students the opportunity to learn about their own political system and debate contemporary political issues. It also affords them the opportunity to contrast this with the American experience in Year 13.
