History

Course summary

A-level history can lead to a great number of excellent careers as diverse as the media, government, heritage organisations, conservation, teaching, museums, the police, and law. Units Studied - Year 12 Students study British History and European and World History. British Period Study and Enquiry: England 1145-1509: Lancastrians, Yorkists and Henry VIII. (25% of total A Level) Pupils explore the dynastic power struggle which took place in 15th-century England. The main part of the course looks at a series of bloody civil wars for the throne of England between two competing royal families: the House of York and the House of Lancaster, both embers of the age-old royal Plantagenet family. Rebellions, usurpations, and murders ended with the emergence of a new royal dynasty: the Tudors. Dictatorship and Democracy in Germany, 1919 – 1963. (15% of total A-level) The Dictatorship and Democracy in Germany topic builds on the basic skills and knowledge students gained in KS3 and GCSE. Students will consider issues such as why German democracy collapsed and how Hitler rose to power. The course not only examines life in Nazi Germany but examines the aftermath of the Second World War and the division of Germany into Eastern and Western blocks. Units Studied - Year 13 Historical Themes: Civil Rights in the USA, 1865-1992. (40% of total A-level) Pupils will explore the changing landscape of the USA between the years 1865 and 1992. Through the overarching themes of women’s rights, the civil rights movement, and trade union struggles, students will learn about the way in which African Americans, women, and Native Americans experienced life and liberty in the USA. Topic-Based Assessment (Coursework) (20% of total A-level) Students will complete a 3000 – 4000-word essay arising from independent study and research on a topic from a given list.