"History is a most improving part of knowledge, as well as an agreeable amusement; and a great part of what we commonly call erudition, and value so highly is nothing but an acquaintance with historical facts…
…if we consider the shortness of human life, and our limited knowledge, even of what happens in our own time, we must be sensible that we should be for ever children in understanding, were it not for this invention, which extends our experience to all past ages, and to the most distant nations, making them contribute as much to our improvement in wisdom, as if they had actually laid under our observation. A man acquainted with history may, in some respect, be said to have lived from the beginning of the world, and to have been making additions to his stock of knowledge in every century.”
David Hume
Modern Britain 1750-1945
Study in Development: Crime and Punishment Through Time
Controlled Assessment: Israel & the Arabs
Study in Depth: Nazi Germany
Henry VIII to Mary I 1509-53
The First Crusade and the Crusader States 1073-1130
Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
The Development of the Nation State: France 1498-1610
Modern Britain 1750 -1945
During the Shell year pupils study the development of modern Britain from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the Second World War.
Study in Development: Crime and Punishment Through Time
Controlled Assessment: Israel & the Arabs
Study in Depth: Nazi Germany
At GCSE level, we do OCR’s Schools History Project (“History A”) course. This includes the ‘study in development’ and the ‘historical source investigation’, both of which are concerned with the issue of “Crime and Punishment Through Time.” This is a broad course considering the causes of crime, popular and official attitudes to it, and the criminal justice system, and it covers ancient, mediaeval and modern times.
In the Fifth Form pupils tackle the ‘study in depth’ and the ‘Modern World Study’, both of which focus on the twentieth century. The depth study, which is taught in the Michaelmas Term, is on Germany between 1918 and 1945; the modern world study, which is taught in the Lent Term and examined by ‘controlled assessment’ is on the Middle East, and how the past has influenced the present in that region.
Advanced Level History The Advanced Level History course is the OCR ‘History A’ course, which involves four modules: a ‘Period Study’, an ‘Enquiry’, a ‘Themes in History’ paper and an ‘Interpretations and Investigations’ coursework unit.
The course is wide-ranging, covering different regions (the British Isles, Continental Europe and the Middle East) in different periods (mediaeval, and modern); it also involves different types of history (social/cultural, religious, military, political/constitutional). But there is coherence too: across the Lower and Upper Sixth we study both England and France in the sixteenth century, and our mediaeval AS paper follows on from the Middle Eastern modern world study we do at GCSE.
In the Lower Sixth we study the First Crusade, and in doing so investigate the difficulties in reconstructing the distant past and interpreting documentary evidence. Advanced Level mediaeval history, with its long perspective and considerable uncertainty, is very different to GCSE Modern World History. We will also begin the study of the Tudor period with a unit on Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I.
In the Upper Sixth we continue with the Tudors and study a coursework unit on Queen Elizabeth I, which focuses particularly on her control of politics, religion and foreign affairs. The ‘synoptic’ paper (which deals with continuity, change and development over time, and the ‘turning points’ of history) concerns the development of the nation state in sixteenth-century France, including such influences as civil the Wars of Religion.
The papers are:
Enquiry (the document paper): The First Crusades & Crusader States
Period Study (the essay paper): From Henry VIII to Mary I 1509-53
Interpretations & Investigations (coursework): Elizabeth I 1558-1603
Themes in History (the ‘synoptic’ paper): France 1498-1610
History develops skills of research and information handling; how to select relevant information to construct logical, analytical arguments and to express them concisely and clearly. These are skills which are valued in a variety of professions. History combines well with all other Arts subjects, and increasing numbers of students combine it with mathematics and/or a science, because it demands similar skills of logic and analysis. It leads to History, Politics or Modern courses at university and is regarded as an excellent preparation for careers in management, law, politics and the media.
07 February 2012