FACULTY LEADER: Mrs N Edney

SUBJECT LEADER: Mr P Low

The History team at Prince Henry's work hard to make students experience of history a fascinating one. Our courses are very popular, with large numbers of students choosing to continue with their studies of History at GCSE and A level. We are proud of what students in History achieve, and have a strong record in terms of results achieved at both GCSE and A Level. Our team of six specialist teachers has a range of different interests in History, ranging from medieval Britain to the Russian Revolution.

KS3 Curriculum

The History curriculum at Key Stage 3 is focussed around the development of six key themes that follow a chronological path through Britain’s domestic and international history. Where appropriate the curriculum will make comparisons and links to international developments and events in history. Our programme of study has been designed to work with, and build on, the historical learning students will have started at Key Stage 1 & 2. For example, many students will study the Romans at Key Stage 2 and we build on this prior learning to help students understand the nature of Empire in Year 7. Students will study one unit of each theme in an academic year. As students progress through Key Stage 3 they will develop an understanding of how these themes have developed through time. The second order concepts specified in the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum, such as change and continuity, cause and consequences, interpretations, source analysis, difference and significance; have been inter-woven into the schemes of work.  

The units studied at Key Stage 3 are focussed around the development of key questions which help to focus student learning throughout the course. Assessment for, as, and of learning has been integrated into our Schemes of Work and students will regularly experience low stake quizzing, knowledge test and at least one piece of written feedback per half-term. Student feedback is considered to be very important in the department, and we use Student Voice feedback to update and adapt our lessons and schemes accordingly.

The student experience in History is very important to the department and we work hard to make it as good as possible. This has included making effectively use the different technology on offer at Prince Henry’s, such as iPads and Microsoft Teams. 

KS4 Curriculum

At Key Stage 4, students may opt to study GCSE History (Edexcel).

In Year 10 we study: Medicine through time; The British Sector of the Western Front; Early Elizabethan England 1558-88.

In Year 11 we study: Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918-1939; Superpower relations and the Cold War.

KS5 Curriculum

At Key Stage 5, students may opt to study A Level History (OCR).  An overview of topics can be seen below:

Assessment

Assessment in History has been designed to support Assessment of, for, and as learning. KS3 is centred around regular low-stakes questions at the beginning of lessons, formal knowledge and summative assessments are integrated into all SoW. At KS4 appropriate examination questions are integrated into the SoW to support the development of examination skills. This is supported by regular low-stakes questioning using 5 questions and Educake quizzes. Assessment skills are modelled for students and opportunities for peer assessment have been integrated into the SoW. Year 10 students and future GCSE students will now have two books one for class-work and one for assessments. At KS5 assessment skills and examination style questions have been integrated into the SoW to support students towards their examinations. Regular low-stakes questioning takes place at the beginning of lessons. At all Key Stages students are expected to undertake green pen DIRT tasks to ensure they reflect on feedback and apply guidance from staff.  

Enrichment

The History team organises a wide range of enrichment activities to give students opportunities to experience history in both a local and a global context. Regular activities include an annual Year 9 trip to the First World War Battlefields of Belgium and France, and a Year 12/13 History and Politics trip to London and Paris.