History
Our exciting History curriculum begins with the Norman invasion of 1066 and concludes with the resignation of Tony Blair in 2007, covering almost 1000 years of history!
At Key Stage 3
Our new Year 7 pupils study ‘Britain 1066-1500’ in the Autumn term and ‘The Indians of North America’ in the Spring and Summer terms.
Year 8 spend the whole year focusing on British history from 1500 to 1750.
Year 9 progress to a study of ‘Britain 1750 to 1900’ in the Autumn term followed by ‘Twentieth Century World history’.
At Key Stage 4 and 5
Year 10 and 11 candidates take the GCSE Modern World History (AQA) course which contains 3 Modules. The first unit investigates the ‘Origins of the Great War’, ‘The failings of the League of Nations’ and ‘Hitler’s foreign policy’. The second unit looks into the ‘Weimar Republic from 1918 to 1933’, ‘Germany under Hitler’s regime’ and the ‘Civil Rights Movement in 1950s USA’. The third unit is a piece of Controlled Assessment on the ‘Home Front during both World Wars’.
Sixth Form Students at Advanced Level (AQA) study ‘Life in Nazi Germany’ and ‘Modern British History’ to 2007. The Historical Enquiry (20% of A Level) requires students to assess the validity of AJP Taylor’s thesis regarding the Origins of the Second World War.
Enhancement
The History department believes that trips and visits enhance historical understanding. We have been to lots of places of historical interest including: Hadrian’s Wall, The Leeds Armouries, the First World War battlefields in Flanders, Helmshore Textile Museum, Liverpool Maritime Museum, Thackery Medical Museum and Conwy/ Skipton Castle.
The History department prides itself on the quality of display work in its classrooms. A combination of pupils’ work and other material creates an atmosphere and environment most conducive to learning.
The History department also runs lots of ‘history club’ style sessions at lunchtime and organise a very well attended GCSE day revision course during the Easter holidays each year.
Examination Results
(Cumulative percentages combined for cohorts of 2011 and 2012)
At GCSE:
Grades A* 22%, A 49%, (A* and A 71%) B 83% C 97% D 100%
At A Level:
Grades A* 15%, A 55%, (A* and A 70%) B 75%, C 100%
Westholme's new Senior Boys' School from September 2012!
