History is not only about our past, it informs our present and shapes all our futures. Our aim in the History Department is to produce historians who are able to make well rounded judgements. By emphasising the concepts of change and continuity in our teaching we are promoting essential analytical skills. The aim of every lesson is to strive to engage all students in historical thought and discussion.
Studying history gives students skills which go beyond the classroom and the study of the past. Skills of analysis are valuable in employment, and the ability to analyse and then prioritise information is crucial in developing students’ leadership abilities. History is a subject that provides students with a skills set which is of benefit across the curriculum and enables them to keep their career options open.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3 all students study History for two lessons per week. Our curriculum begins with Roman Britain and ends with the development of the Cold War. History is taught chronologically and we assess 6 times per year on the following historical skills:
• Cause and Consequence;
• Continuity and Change;
• Significance; and
• Interpretations and Representations.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4 students at St Edmund’s Catholic School follow the History Edexcel GCSE Course. Students have three lessons per week. Students are taught how to produce structured and well written arguments. This GCSE consists of three papers:
Paper 1: Thematic study and historic environment: 30% of the qualification. Medicine in Britain c 1250-present and The British sector of the Western Front, 1914-1918: injuries, treatment and the trenches.
Paper 2: Period study and depth study: 40% of the qualification. Anglo Saxon and Norman England c 1060-88. The American West, c1835-1895.
Paper 3: Modern depth study: 30% of the qualification. Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-39.
Key Contacts
Subject Leader:
Mr Itayi Mashongamhende: imashonmanhende@st-edmunds.com