GCSE History

Course summary

History is about people, in all their complexity and diversity; their successes and failures, great kindnesses and great crimes, and their sheer unpredictability. It is the story of us and how the world came to be how it is today, and teaches us to ask questions of the past. What has prompted so many people to migrate to Britain over the course of this country's story? Why did the people of Germany choose an evil dictator as their leader in the 1930s? History, like the people we study, is naturally intriguing, and also gives a sense of perspective which is of huge value; an awareness that others have travelled this road before. Crucially, history helps us not to take others’ claims at face value, but to see if they stand up to the facts and argue convincingly for our own views. It is therefore great preparation for a wide range of careers (graduates range from Anita Roddick to Joe Biden via Sacha Baron Cohen) including anything involving analysis, use of evidence or working with people. The course content comprises a mix of different periods and approaches, giving a diverse and broad perspective on the past both nationally and globally, including the study of migration to Britain from 1250 to the present day. British (Norman Conquest) and world (Making of America) history depth studies enable students to gain a wide-ranging knowledge and understanding of the past, and the accessible OCR exam papers provide the opportunity for all students to do their best in the final examinations.