Over the two-year course students complete four modules, which not only focus on different topics but also develop different historical skills. These are likely to include the following:
Unit 1: British Period Study and Enquiry - Y101 - Alfred and the Making of England 871-1016 (Specific Document Enquiry on Alfred the Great)
Unit 2: Non British Period Study - Y219 - Russia 1894-1941 (Period study)
Unit 3: Thematic Study and Historical Interpretations - Y311 - From Colonialism to Independence: The British Empire 1857-1965 (Thematic study and interpretations)
Unit 4: Coursework - Y4 - A Personal Study on a topic of the student's choice (A single 3000-4000 word essay which must include the use of primary evidence and historical interpretations)
History offers the opportunity to study fascinating characters and events from the past allowing students to immerse themselves in periods and places that are both completely different and yet fundamentally similar to today. In Year 12, students analyse two contrasting nations from two completely different periods - yet both topics are vital in understanding the modern world. We delve into the concept of revolution - considering the fervour in St Petersburg in the early C20th and the impact of the Bolshevik seizure of power in shaping not just Russian history but events and ideologies across the globe. In contrast, the study of Alfred the Great will offer a unique perspective on the emergence of English identity and England as a nation - pertinent issues in the UK today. In Year 13, there is the opportunity to study the rise and fall of the British Empire (which balances a British core with the opportunity to learn about places as diverse as India, Palestine and Kenya), as well as the chance to choose an individual enquiry on an event or person of the student's choice.