History

Staff Contact Details

Miss T Clark (Head of Department)
tclark@herschel.slough.sch.uk

Mr I Sharpe
isharpe@herschel.slough.sch.uk

Mr M Bourne
mbourne@herschel.slough.sch.uk

Mr Christopher Koeberg
cko@herschel.slough.sch.uk

Mr Ameen Aslam
aas@herschel.slough.sch.uk

Curriculum Overview

History is all about people.

History looks at why people fall out, and the consequences. It considers who were the peacemakers. How did our world get to where it is?

Like detectives, we use clues or evidence from the past to try and find the answers. Then we try and piece together these clues to reach a judgement. Along the way we have to use our analytical skills to spot bias and propaganda.

Year 7

What is History?

Development of church, state and society in medieval Britain 1066-1509

Why did William win the Battle of Hastings?

What did the Normans do for us?

Did rats and rebels change people's lives completely?

Who was in charge in Medieval times - the King or the church?

Development of church, state and society 1509-1745

Can a girl be a good leader? Study of Elizabeth I

Why did Charles I lose his head? Causes of the Civil War

Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901

Why did monarchs want to rule more than one country?

Local history study - Windsor Castle

Year 8

Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain 1745-1901

Did the industrial revolution change lives for the better? Working conditions, trade and transport.

Despite the horrors of the slave trade, why did it remain for so long?

Did ordinary people change Britain? Popular protest movements, the vote, working conditions, public health.

How did a small island come to control one third of the world? 

A significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments

Mughal India 1526-1857

Year 9

Changes for Britain, Europe and the wider world - 1901 to the present day

What was Britain like at the start of the 20th century?

How did buying a sandwich in Sarajevo in 1914 lead to a world war?

WW1 - trench warfare, the Somme and the Generals, Treaty of Versailles

What was life like under the Nazis?

How could the Holocaust be allowed to happen and why do we still study it today?

Why in 1939 was Britain going to war again? Causes of WWII

How did Britain come close to losing WWII? Battle of Britain, the Blitz, D Day and Hiroshima

What was it like on the Home Front in WWII?

How did Britain manage to lose its empire? Case study of India.

How did curry become one of the most popular foods in Britain? SE Asian migration, inlcuidng a local study of migration to Slough.

Years 10 and 11

Your GCSE History course.

Exam board is AQA.

You will sit two exam papers at the end of Yr11. Each paper is worth 50% of the GCSE. The papers will be 1 hour and 45 mins each. There will be a mixture of source questions and essay questions.

Paper One - Yr10

Russia 1894- 1945. Tsardom and Communism.

Conflict and Tension in Asia. 1950-1975.

Paper Two - Yr11

Norman England. 1066-1100 including an historical environment.

Britain: Migration, empires and the people. 790 to the present day.

For each paper there are extra marks available for good spelling and grammar. Get into good habits now. 

Year 12 and Year 13

Exam board: AQA

History is interesting because it is about people, why they acted in a certain way and what the consequences of those actions were. History is a challenging and widely respected subject and will enable you to develop both your analytical and your communication skills.

Course Components:

Component 1: Breadth Study – Germany 1871-1991

A chance to explore Germany’s development from its unification in the 19th century to its re-unification at the end of the Cold War.

Assessment: Exam - analysis and interpretations (40% of A Level)

Component 2: Depth Study – Britain 1951-2007

This component allows you to explore Britain as it deals with changes within British society through to it finding its new place in the world after the Second World War.

Assessment: Exam - analysis and use of contemporary sources (40% of A Level)

Component 3: Historical Investigation -Russia.1801-1917. 

A personal study allowing you to develop and demonstrate your historical and research skills. The topic for this will be decided upon by AQA each year.

Assessment: Extended Essay – 3000 words  (20% of the A Level)

Useful Links

BBC History

Active History