History

Aims

The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:

·         know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world

·         know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind

·         gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’

·         understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses

·         understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed

·         gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Introduction.

The Pearson Edexcel Level GCSE (9–1) in History consists of three externally examined papers.

Paper 1: Thematic study and historic environment studied in Year 10

Written examination: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Content overview

● 11: Medicine in Britain, c1250–present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches.

Assessment overview

Section A: historic environment

Students answer a question that assesses knowledge plus a two-part question based on two provided sources.

Section B: thematic study

Students answer three questions that assess their knowledge and understanding. The first two questions are compulsory. For the third question, students answer one from a choice of two.

Paper 2: Period study and British depth study (Option 25: The American West and Tudor depth options)

Written examination: 1 hour and 45 minutes (studied in Year 10 and year11

Content overview

Students take the following British depth study option:

● B4: Early Elizabethan England, 1558–88.

Students also take the following period study option:

● 25: The American West, c1835–c1895

Assessment overview

Section A: Period study

Students answer three questions that assess their knowledge and understanding. The first two questions are compulsory. For the third question, students select two out of three parts.

Section B: British depth study

Students answer a single three-part question that assesses their knowledge and understanding. The first two parts are compulsory. For the third part, students select one from a choice of two.

Paper 3: Modern depth study

Written examination: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Content overview

Students take the following modern depth study:

● 31: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39

Assessment overview

Section A

Students answer a question based on a provided source and a question that assesses their knowledge and understanding.

Section B

Students answer a single four-part question, based on two provided sources and two provided interpretations.

Exam Board: Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History.

For further details please visit: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-gcses/history-2016.html

There are three modules in the A2 course:

HIS1E: Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682-1796.

One 2hr 30min written examination. 40% of A Level.

HIS2E: The English Revolution 1625-1660.

One 2hr 30min written examination. 40% of A Level.

HIS3: Historical Enquiry. (Coursework):

Tudor Rebellions.

UNIT 1E

Russia in the Age of Absolutism and Enlightenment, 1682-1796

Introduction. This option allows students to study in breadth issues of change, continuity, cause and consequence in this period through the following key questions:

•• How far were the rulers of Russia able to establish and maintain authority?

•• How and why did Russian society and the economy develop?

•• How important were ideology and ideas?

•• How far were objectives in foreign policy achieved?

•• How significant was opposition and how effectively was it dealt with?

•• How important was the role of key individuals and groups and how were they affected by developments?

Part One: Peter the Great and Russia, 1682–1725 AS and A Level (i.e. Year 12)

Establishing authority, 1682–1707

•• The political, economic and social position of Russia in 1682: the Tsars and the nobility; economic backwardness and serfdom; Russia as a traditional, Slav society

•• The Regency; the role of the Streltsy; Peter as joint ruler and the establishment of sole rule

•• Westernisation; influences on Peter as a child; the Great Embassy; the reasons for and significance of the development of St Petersburg

•• Early reforms: economic and financial; political; military; changes in society

•• Opposition: the Church; the Streltsy

•• Foreign affairs and wars: wars against Turkey and Sweden

Increasing the glory of Russia, 1707–1725

•• Economic and financial reforms and their success

•• Orthodoxy and developments in the Church: attempts to increase the power of the Tsar

•• Changes to central and local government; the reform of the army and the introduction of the Table of Ranks and the Service State

•• Social developments, Westernisation and extent of change by 1725

•• Opposition: Astrakhan; Bashkir; Don Cossacks; Tsarevich Alexis

•• Foreign affairs and wars: wars with Sweden and Turkey; involvement in European conflicts:

Part Two: Enlightenment Russia, 1725–1796 (Year 13)

The epoch of palace coups, 1725–1762

•• The legacy of Peter the Great: the Service State; the role of the Church; the gentry and serfdom;Russia’s involvement in international affairs

•• Disputed successions and the role of the Supreme State Council and the Preobrazhensky Regiment

•• Tsarina Elizabeth: accession to the throne; education and Westernisation; legal reforms; taxation

•• Social developments: the redefinition of the Service State; serfdom and serf unrest

•• Foreign affairs: intervention in Poland; failure to secure the Crimea; involvement in the Seven Years War

•• Russia by 1762: the extent to which Petrine reforms survived; the accession of Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great and Russia, 1762–1796 (Year 13)

•• Catherine: character and aims; extent of influence of the Enlightenment and the impact of the French Revolution on Catherine

•• Developments in central and local government: codification of the law; the Great Commission;reform of the Senate; changes to local government in towns and rural areas

•• Changes to society: the importance of landownership and the gentry; Enlightenment and education;reforms to religion

•• The economy and the persistence of serfdom and its impact on economic development

•• Opposition and rebellion; plots against her and Catherine’s reaction; the Pugachev Revolt and its consequences

•• Foreign affairs and wars: Sweden; Turkey and Crimea; wars with Poland and its partition

 UNIT 2E: The English Revolution 1625-1660.

Introduction.

This option provides for the study in depth of the challenges faced by those in authority in the years before, during and after the English Civil War. It explores concepts such as Divine Right; arbitrary government, Arminianism, and political and religious radicalism. It also encourages an in-depth understanding of how government works, arbitrary government and consensus, authority and opposition and issues of settlement.

Part One: The Origins of the English Civil War, 1625–1642       AS and A Level (i.e. Year 12)

The emergence of conflict and the end of consensus, 1625–1629

• The legacy of James I: religious issues and divisions; relations between Crown and Parliament; relations with foreign powers

• Monarchy and Divine Right: the character and aims of Charles I; the Queen and the court; the King's advisers; ideas of royal authority

• Challenges to the arbitrary government of Charles I: reactions against financial policies; conflict over Church; reactions against foreign policy and the role of       Buckingham

• Parliamentary radicalism; personalities and policies of parliamentary opposition to the King; the Petition of Right; the dissolution of Parliament and the King’s commitment to Personal Rule

An experiment in Absolutism, 1629–1640

• Charles I’s Personal Rule: his chief ministers; methods of government; financial policies and the reaction against them

• Religious issues: Laud and Arminianism in England and Scotland; the growth of opposition from Puritans

• Political issues: the role of Wentworth; policies in Ireland and England; the reactions against the Crown; demands for the recall of Parliament

• Radicalism, dissent and the approach of war: the spread of religious radicalism; the Scottish Covenant and the Bishops War; the Pacification of Berwick; the second Scottish war

The crisis of Parliament and the outbreak of the First Civil War, 1640–1642

• The Divided Political Nation 1640: the recall of Parliament; the strengths and weaknesses of Charles I; the strengths and divisions of parliamentary opposition

• Pym and the development of parliamentary radicalism: Pym’s personality and aims; the Grand Remonstrance; the London mob; popular radicalism

• Conflicts between Crown and Parliament: attempts to impose royal authority and the development of a Royalist Party; the execution of Strafford and its political consequences

• The slide into war: the impact of events in Ireland; the failed arrest of the Five Members; local grievances; failure of negotiations between the King and the          

Long Parliament; military preparations for war

Part Two: Radicalism, Republic and Restoration, 1642–1660.      (Year 13)

War and radicalism, 1642–1646

• The First Civil War: the strengths and weaknesses of the political and military leadership of the Royalist cause

• The First Civil War: the strengths and weaknesses of the political and military leadership of the Parliamentary forces; emergence of the New Model Army; the Solemn League and Covenant; Self Denying Ordinance

• The intensification of radicalism: popular radicalism in London; religious radicalism in the New Model Army; pamphlets and propaganda

• The end of the First Civil War: divisions amongst the Parliamentary leaders; attempts at settlement; the capture of Charles I

The disintegration of the Political Nation, 1646–1649

• Political and religious radicalism: the politicisation of the New Model Army; Lilburne and the Levellers; Fifth Monarchists; Ranters and other populist groups

• Political and religious divisions: the attitude and actions of Charles I; divisions within the opposition to the King; the failure of attempts to reach a political settlement

• The Second Civil War and the reasons for its outcome

• The problem of Charles I: divisions within the army and Parliament; the trial and execution of the King

Experiments in Government and Society, 1648–1660

• The Third Civil War: the attempted Royalist revival; the defeat and exile of Prince Charles

• Political radicalism: failure of the Levellers and Diggers and the ‘Godly Society’; Quakers, Baptists and other radical sects; the Rump Parliament as an experiment in radical republicanism

• Oliver Cromwell and the Protectorate: Cromwell’s personality and approach to government and his refusal of the Crown; the limits of religious toleration; the Major Generals; the problem of the succession to Cromwell

• The monarchy restored: political vacuum after the death of Cromwell; negotiations for the return of the monarchy under Charles II; the legacy of the English Revolution by 1660

Exam Board: AQA.

For further details please visit: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/as-and-a-level/history-7041-7042/introduction

Head of History Department