History

Current Teaching Staff:
Mrs R North - Head of Department
Miss S Medhurst, Ms A Saunders

At the beginning of February, four Year 12 students went on a daytrip to Poland in order to visit Auschwitz. This trip is run as part of Lessons From Auschwitz – a programme run by the Holocaust Educational Trust that encourages students to learn about the Holocaust and consider its contemporary relevance in modern society.

Upon our arrival in Auschwitz, we were soon met by Rabbi Shaw, who introduced us to the Book of Names. This consisted of the names of every Jew who was murdered during the Holocaust. However, there are 1.8 million names that are unaccounted for, because they had no surviving loved ones to put their name in the book. In order to promote the individualisation of the victims, we were encouraged to look through the book and find a name to remember and continue their legacy.

Although we saw much of the camp, the rooms that consisted of the victims’ belongings are the ones that stand out most to me, particularly the room with the shoes. We were also incredibly fortunate that we were allowed to walk through the one surviving gas chamber at Auschwitz.

After, we visited Birkenau. It was a different experience from Auschwitz, as it had just been preserved rather than converted into a museum, and I believe that made it a more emotional experience as you can truly feel as though you are walking through history.

One of the things we saw were the living conditions for the prisoners. These were so confined and clearly fed into the Nazi idea of dehumanisation. Within the buildings, it was so cold, despite the fact that we were wearing several layers, which makes it difficult to imagine how frozen the prisoners would have been in the nights of Russian-style winters.

It is impossible to articulate the sheer enormity of Birkenau. When looking at the infamous entrance, the barbed wire stretched for as long as the eye could see. We managed to walk to the other end of the camp, but it would have been impossible to have seen everything.

To end the day, we met Rabbi Shaw again, who told us some stories of victims of the Holocaust, but also explored the contemporary relevance with antisemitism still prevalent in modern society. He then led a memorial service in which we lit candles in order to spread and share light.

Overall, the trip, although being an emotional day, was an educational experience that we all learnt a lot from. It also showed us the consequences that come as a result of hatred and prejudice and how we must strive to stop this happening again.

Subject Overview

The programme of study follows a chronological pattern starting with the Norman Conquest in Year 7 and progressing to the 1960s in Year 9. In Year 7 the main theme is Medieval England followed by the Tudors. In Year 8 the topics covered are Britain and the Monarchy from 1603 – 1837, The reign of Victoria, the British Empire and Slavery and in term three, The First World War. In Year 9 the students follow a course on 20th Century World History including the World War Two, Black Civil Rights in the USA, and the Suffragettes. We then begin the GCSE course studying the Reigns of Richard and John 1189-1216.

There are 3 core assessment pieces per year at Key Stage 3. Feedback sheets are given which include the mark scheme and written comments. Verbal feedback is given during lessons for each assessment. Students are given time develop their knowledge and skills in response to this feedback. Students can access all lessons on SharePoint where there are revision materials, lesson power points and links to videos.

SMSC

History contributes to our students SMSC development through:

• Developing an understanding of British social and political history from Ancient Britain through to modern day society
• By raising an awareness of discrimination and ethical issues surrounding events of social injustice including; enslavement and the British Empire, the Holocaust, Black History and Women’s rights and other groups. 
• By raising spiritual awareness of various societies and beliefs such as the Crusades, the Reformation and the Enlightenment.
• Developing an appreciation of both British and other nations cultural values, beliefs and societies

SPIRITUAL:

• Year 7 – Medieval church, Catholicism/Protestantism, break with Rome and religious rollercoaster.
• Year 8 – Puritans, religion and politics – cause of the English Civil War and impact on society. Conscientious Objectives in World War 1.
• Year 9 – Persecution in Nazi Germany (Jehovah’s Witnesses, Anti-Semitism, the Holocaust), Pogroms in Medieval England, Impact of Medieval Church on government and society.
• Year 10 – Impact of religion on beliefs of medicine.
• Year 11 – Anti-Semitism, Religious opposition to the Nazis, church in Weimar and Nazi Germany.
• Year 12 – Protestant Reformation, the Break with Rome, Role of the Church in Russian society.
• Year 13 - Religious Settlements Edward, Mary, Elizabeth, Impact on Society, politics and Foreign Policy, Russia Anti-Semitism in the Great Patriotic War, the role of the Church in a socialist society.

MORAL:

• Year 7 – Conquest of Scotland and Wales, Crime and Punishment in Tudor England.
• Year 8 – Crime and Punishment in Victorian Britain (case study on Jack the Ripper), ethics around Victorian punishments, including the death penalty, Empire, Colonialism and Enslavement. The English Civil War power struggle and regicide.
• Year 9 – The Holocaust, dropping of the Atomic Bombs, Votes for Women, The Campaign for Civil Rights (Black Lives Matter) Year 9 – GCSE – Ethics of the Crusades.
• Year 10 – Modern medical issues e.g. lung cancer, DNA.
• Year 11 – Antisemitism, eugenics, euthanasia, role of minority groups.
• Year 12/13 – Religious persecution, protest and rebellion in Tudor England. Revolution and persecution in Russia.

SOCIAL:

• Year 7 – Monarchy, creation of Parliament, Magna Carta, power and changing role of the monarch under Henry VIII.
• Year 8 – English Civil War and the struggle between parliament and monarchy.
• Year 9 – Votes for Women, Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights Year 9 – GCSE – Role of the Government in Medieval England, Magna Carta and King John.
• Year 10 – Role of the Government in Medicine, Laissez Faire and compulsory vaccinations.
• Year 11 – political concepts of left and right wing, the rise of Hitler.
• Year 12/13 – Tudor society, and monarchy, democracy and dictatorship in Russia.

Skills developed by group work, card sort, role play, presentations, extended projects, working together to create models, speed dating. Developing responsibilities through History Prefects in Years 10 and 12. Independent learning through extended reading (NEA & history book cupboard), ensuring all students listen to their peers

CULTURE:

• Year 7 – Multiculturalism in Tudor times, cultural understanding of the nations of the UK, development of Parliament and Magna Carta.
• Year 8 – The making of the UK, studying the impact of the Union in 1707 on the other home nations, cultural impact of Empire, study of Pocahontas and native American culture, democracy covering the power struggle between parliament and the monarchy leading to execution of Charles.
• Year 9 – votes for women, suffragettes, democratic rights in the USA, Richard and John power struggle between kings and nobles leading to Magna Carta, cultural role of Jews in medieval England
• Year 10 – Medicine through Time, comparing Arabic and European medicine in medieval England
• Year 11 – Weimar culture, politics of democracy vs dictatorship, right wing/left wing, persecution of minority groups. Year 11 – Cold War, understanding the different political ideologies & the resulting conflicts and how this has shaped the modern world.
• A level – comparison of Russian culture before revolution and then under Lenin/Stalin, democracy/autocracy and dictatorship.
• A level – power of the monarchy in Tudor England, increasing power of parliament, Tudor art, culture, music, theatre and humanism leading to the Golden Age of Elizabeth.

British Values

We raise awareness of Core British Values through studying different faiths, gender history, prejudice, culture and BLM movement, the Holocaust. Politics, democracy and power of the Crown.

• Year 7 – Reformation, religious values and awareness. Magna Carta, Peasants Revolt– Political understanding Year 8 - Empire and Slavery, slave trade, abolition of slavery. Understanding of racial issues
• Year 8 – Stuarts, Gunpowder Plot, terrorism, The Civil War and Glorious Rev- political understanding Victorians – Democracy and the Chartists. Year 8 – World War 1 – Conscientious Objectors, different political perspectives in War.
• Year 9 - World War 2 – Holocaust and anti – Semitism. Was the dropping of the Atomic Bomb justified - morality Year 9 - Democracy with the Suffragettes and individual liberty with Black Civil Rights Richard and John GCSE - Antisemitism in Medieval England. Crusades – relations between Christians and Muslims. Magna Carta and democracy.
• Year 10 GCSE Medicine and Public Health – notion and right to medicine and decent standard of public Health. Year 11 GCSE Germany – Antisemitism in Nazi Germany. Democracy / Dictatorship. Right / Left wing politics.
• Year 11 GCSE Cold War – Atomic Warfare, Dictatorship behind the Iron Curtain and the increasing demand for democracy culminating in the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
• Year 12 /13 A Level – Dictatorship in USSR. Persecution in the gulags. Tudors – Absolute Monarchy and the growing power of Parliament. Religious awareness of Catholics and Protestants during the Reformation Britain NEA – Political representation in 20th Century, popular protest e.g. CND. Womens rights – Suffragettes, Womens Liberation. Morality of war e.g. Iraq. Health and social care. Political change with EU membership and devolution. Immigration and civil rights in UK in 20th century. LGBTQIA+ movement in 20th century.

Reading

Book cupboards in all History rooms. Lots of History books in the library. History cupboard has textbooks for all year groups including NEA for sixth form. Reading exercises in lessons – guided reading sheets, word gaps, colour codes etc.

Oracy

Discussion, debate and open questioning in all lessons.

Careers

Extended writing skills, source evaluation and interpretations skills are all developed to enhance employability. Use of ICT and multimedia/technology used in lessons when appropriate Historic employment and workplace studied at varying points.

Year group	Developing knowledge of careers, labour market information and the world of work	Developing employability skills
7	Immediate use of evidence/sources/interpretations early in SOW. Tollund Man task investigating historical issues. ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment.	Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.
8	Industrial Revolution and examination of changing work including child labour, women in the workforce etc. Experiences of work life in World War 1 (soldiers and home front). Morwellham Quay – looking at Victorian child labour but also insightful for other careers involved with History e.g. museum etc. ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment.	Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.
9	World War 2 Artefacts lesson getting students to examine evidence from the time periods, seeing what they can learn. Experiences of work life in WW2 (soldiers and home front). Experiences of historical workplace in the Middle Ages (Richard and John GCSE unit). ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment.	to examine evidence from the time periods, seeing what they can learn. Experiences of work life in WW2 (soldiers and home front). Experiences of historical workplace in the Middle Ages (Richard and John GCSE unit). ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.
10	Medicine through time, examines changing role of factors impacting jobs, including 20th century medicine opportunities. ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment.	Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.
11	Doctors show – History and theatre studies, experience of alternative career paths in History. Impact of historical events on employment and the workforce (e.g. hyperinflation and Great Depression) ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment.	Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.
12	History and Politics trip to Westminster. Ways with Words at Dartington. ‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment NEA – independent research into historical issue, ultimate culmination in skills bult upon throughout history career.	Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.
13	‘You’re the historian!’ tasks built on throughout SOW and examined through assessment NEA – independent research into historical issue, ultimate culmination in skills bult upon throughout history career.	Investigative skills, debate and discussion skills, sorting evidence into hierarchy of importance, analytical writing skills, formulating judgements, examining significance, develop a hypothesis and argue perspective in a logical and coherent manner – all transferrable skills.

 

Further questions related to the delivery of CIEAG (Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance) within the department

Further Questions	Departmental Response
Where do you source your labour market information? Online resources (with details) Personal/professional networks Links with industry/employers, universities Websites Conferences and events (with details) CPD Other (please describe)	Historical Association English Heritage National Trust Holocaust Educational Trust UCL Holocaust Education Teaching Education in Action These regularly update their websites with seminars/webinars which are made available to students, although they are not regularly scheduled.
Do you use display notices / information about careers related to your subject area? If so, please give details.	History careers display prominent in entrance way to history department. Regular references to history careers throughout SOW.
Do you, on a regular basis, engage in classroom discussions around potential career prospects with your students?	Yes, there are regular opportunities for students to develop these skills using investigation of sources in lessons 9currently adapting to be named ‘You are the historian’). Archaeology club gives another perspective for careers available with history. Film club discusses the importance of factual research and historical consultants, opening another door for careers within History. Options evenings and options talks delivered by RN.
Do you have a focus on teaching the essential skills within a curriculum linked subject? How do you then link that skill to careers in that subject?	Yes, these are mapped out in the SOW. These are specifically mentioned when teaching certain aspects of the curriculum e.g. examining sources, examining interpretations of historical events.
Do you invite visitors in from industry to speak to your students? If so, how do you source these visitors?	Archaeology Club – new January 2023. RN sources through Vantage Education.
Do you plan visits to: Employers, Work Based Learning providers HE/FE If so, who do you link with in school to make this happen?	Morwellham Quay – looking at Victorian child labour but also insightful for other careers involved with History e.g. museum etc. Trip to London Houses of Parliament Berlin trip for 6th form – visiting political and historical focused places of employment, History lectures/webinars. Encounters with higher education with the NEA at A Level – encouraging them to use University of Exeter library, Ways with Words at Dartington. HET Lessons from Auschwitz programme.
How much is your good practice shared around your department, or with other members of staff?	Regular discussions with members of the department.

 

Character skills

SaS_Skills Posters_History.pdf (tggsacademy.org)

We support the school intent through a variety of teaching styles , assignments and activities using all of the methods listed : Leadership, Teamwork, Aiming High, Problem Solving, Speaking, Listening, Creativity and Staying Positive

As a Girls' school, we aim to teach at varying points about the changing role of women in both politics and society through History: ·

• Year 7 Role of Women in Medieval and Tudor times and the Role of female Monarchs – Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots.
• Year 8 Historical prejudice against women during the Witchcraze, Victoria and her issues as a young female monarch.
• Year 9 The suffragettes and campaign for Civil Rights focussing on some inspirational women e.g. Rosa Parkes Jo Ann Robinson.
• Year 10 Women in Medicine from 1250-present day including individuals such as Florence Nightingale. The role of Nurses in WWI including Nurse Nellie Spindler.
• Year 11 The changing role of women in Weimar and Nazi Germany.
• Year 12/13 The changing attitudes towards the role of women under Lenin and Stalin in the USSR.

As a school within Torbay Devon we also include various aspects of Local History

• Year 7 - Totnes Castle (Middle Ages), Torre Abbey and Drake - Spanish Armada Tudors.
• Year 8 - Brixham landing of William of Orange Glorious Revolution, Morwellham Quay visit - Victorians.
• Year 9 - World War 2 Slapton sands, Torquay- D Day, World War 2 day - local experiences from Veterans and local enthusiasts.
• Year 10 - Seale Hayne hospital World War 1, GB sector of Western Front, exam board local study.
• Year 12 - Cornish Rebellion 1497, Exeter Conspiracy 1538 (Tudors), Courtenay family.
• Year 12 NEA - Nancy Astor 1st female MP Plymouth, Suffragette campaigning in Newton Abbot.
• Year 13 - 1549 Western Rebellion, Exeter (Tudors), Spanish Armada and Drake – Plymouth.

As a Grammar school with able students, we encourage the following:

• We encourage students to read around the topic both online and through the departmental library, particularly in sixth form.
• We encourage the sixth form to attend the Tudors film club at lunchtime.
• We encourage Key Stage 3 students to attend History film club.
• We run house competitions for those that wish to extend their knowledge beyond the syllabus.
• We produce model answers so that all students can understand what constitutes the highest grades and we also produce writing frames.
• We encourage higher order thinking skills by developing powers of analysis through card sorts, primary source work and analysis of Historical interpretations.
• We encourage students to become History subject prefects and they are then given tasks to raise the profile of the subject within the school.
• We help students who are completing a History based EPQ.
• We organise many trips and activities outside of lessons to encourage a passion for History beyond the scope of the classroom.
• Adapted teaching in lessons through tasks and outcome.

 

History Career Guide

History Skills Poster

Where can History take you?