Head of History :  Mrs S Towers

Teacher of History: Mrs J Scatley

Teacher of History: Miss E Kinghorn

Teacher of History: Miss S Lary (Deputy Headteacher)

HISTORY:

History at HGSS is a successful and popular subject area with lessons being delivered twice a week for Years 7-11 and 4 times a week at Key Stage 5. The aims of the History Department allow students to:

• Describe and explain historical change and cause
• Analyse different features of historical situations
• Develop a knowledge and understanding  of the main developments in key periods of History
• Explore the key features and characteristics of events
• Investigate the impact of events and reactions
• Investigate issues by evaluating and interpreting historical sources
• Develop research skills by completing and applying independent research to evaluate and analyse how the past has been interpreted and represented in different ways.

Overall, our main aim is to give our students the opportunity to develop a coherent understanding of the past and to develop transferrable historical skills.

Regardless of which teacher takes the lessons, a wide range of teaching methods will be used and the lessons will be stimulating.  History lessons for all years are intended to be both interesting and designed to prepare students thoroughly for exams and coursework tasks.  In a nutshell, lessons are exciting, motivating, challenging and purposeful.

Lessons in each year promote British values and also celebrate the impact other cultures have had on this country throughout history.  For example:

Year 7 studies Life in Medieval England, including the Norman Conquest, the impact of the Crusades and the Tudors

Year 8 studies The Industrial Revolution as well as the British Empire, its impact on Britain and its colonies, the Slave Trade and Democracy, the First World War and Rise of the Nazis.

Year 9 begin their GCSE with the unit Living Under Nazi Rule, 1933-1945, and The Making of America 1789-1900 (Paper 3)

Year 10 students study The People's Health c.1200 - Present Day (Paper 1) before conducting a Local Site Study into Hampton Court Palace and it's evolution (Paper 2).

Year 11 is dedicated to the final GCSE unit The Elizabethans 1588 - 1603 (Paper 1) and a programme of revision.

Year 12 study OCR The Early Tudors 1485 - 1558 (Paper 1) and Democracy and Dictatorship in Germany 1919 - 1963 (Paper 2) and begin to work on their individualised NEA.

Year 13 students study The Renaissance c.1400-c.1600