GCSE
The GCSE course offers a varied and exciting study of the world in which we live and will help you to understand why it is the way it is. You will study four very different topics: Germany 1890-1945; Elizabethan England 1558-1603; Conflict and Tension in Asia 1950-1975; Britain, Health and Medicine through Time.
You will also learn to use, understand and assess evidence, to analyse sources such as posters, photographs and diary entries, and to sift important information from the trivial in order to formulate judgements and construct logical arguments. These are transferable skills which are of vital importance in higher education.
You will be assessed through two examinations, each of which are 1 hour and 45 minutes and worth 50% of the GCSE. Each examination includes a combination of source analysis and essay questions.
A Level
During the A Level course you will build upon the knowledge and skills gained at GCSE and will study a range of topics from different countries and time periods: The Tudors – 1485-1603; The American Dream – 1945-1980; Anti-Semitism, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust – 1848-1945.
In addition to enriching your knowledge, you will further develop your historical skills including source analysis, constructing arguments about different historical issues and reaching informed conclusions. You will also spend time looking at the views and opinions of different historians and comparing their views with your own.
You will be assessed through two examinations, each of which are 2 hours and 30 minutes in duration and are worth 40% of the A Level. You will also complete a coursework essay, which is worth 20%.