History

Why Choose this course?

Apart from studying a wide range of interesting historic periods, you'll learn a range of powerful knowledge and develop vital skills that will help you with your future studies and chosen career path and tackling the wider world. A level History will no doubt inspire your curiosity and passion to find out about the past whilst simultaneously developing your disciplinary thinking. The study of History will allow you to develop excellent knowledge requisition, source analysis skills and the ability to develop reasoned arguments and extended writing skills. You will be able to discover how the world around you have evolved, develop skills which go beyond the headlines ad to ask questions properly and to express your own opinion by developing communication skills. History A-Level trains your mind and teaches you how to think and process information so that you become a rounded individual who has an understanding of both past and present. With the extended knowledge you gain, you will be able to understand the origins of modern political and social problems. These transferrable skills are something in which employers are looking for.

Prospects

Considered as an enabling subject, History at an advanced level provides a wide and varied base for entry into university and many professions. It can successfully be combined with both arts and science subjects as a foundation for further education. Career paths for History graduates are wide-ranging and include Teaching, Law, Journalism, Media, Archivist, Researcher, Business and Personnel Management, Local and National Government posts.

Studying our subject will help you enhance key skills that employers want because it involves:
Learning about people - how they interact, differing perspectives and interpretations, the motives and emotions that can tear people apart into rival factions or help them to work together for a common cause.

Learning to locate and sift facts - in today's internet-based, information overloaded world, employers really appreciate someone who can sift through the evidence to find the vital information - a skill that history is better placed than any other subject to help you develop.

Handling evidence to make informed decisions - to identify truth and recognise myth, propaganda and fake news.

Communicating your ideas and thoughts in a way that makes sense to others - whether that be verbally or in essays, graphs or illustrated reports - and having the confidence to defend your findings. These skills are vital for arguments and presentations in a range of careers.

Learning about countries, societies, and cultures - so many of today's conflicts and alliances have their roots in the past; how can you understand, trade successfully with, or report on a country if you know nothing of its culture or history?

Course Content

Paper 1, Option 1H: Britain transformed, 1918-97 (30% of overall grade)

Paper 2 Option 2H.2: The USA, 1955-92: conformity and challenge (20% of overall grade)

Paper 3: The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580-c1750 (30% of overall grade)

Coursework: worth 20% of the overall A-level grade, this is a 3,000 word essay which involves a critical analysis on the debate surrounding the formation and execution of the Holocaust.

Course Opportunities/ Activities

The History Department at Broughton Hall Catholic High School recognise the value of students learning and developing beyond the walls of a classroom. Trips enhance the teaching and learning of any History course and can effectively enable students to experience first-hand places, people and issues, bringing to life the topics being studied. In addition, we offer online lectures where appropriate for the course delivered by professors.

Trips:
Year 12 Houses of Parliament
Year 13 Pendle Hill
Year 13 Lessons from Auschwitz
Year 12/13 Washington and New York
Year 13 Library visit

Support and Challenge

Students are given the knowledge and confidence they need to be successful through our student centered approach. Our History team ensure the needs of every student is met via support in the classroom via evidence-informed teaching strategies, intervention and course materials. Our ambition for all means we are determined to remove any barriers in students achieving their true potential. Personalised and detailed feedback is given and students reflect and improve their answers. For each unit, reading materials are provided along with challenging scholarship and articles. Lastly, staff are experts in their subject field within the subject discipline and the exam board.

Student Comment

History is a great subject because it allows to extend your knowledge about the wider world and it explains why the world it is today. The subject is extremely interesting and the teachers make the lessons engaging and intellectual stimulating.

The topics I studied at GCSE were interesting, but A-Level History is definitely more engaging. Although you might know about certain events, people or legislation, A-level History adds depth and critical thinking to your knowledge. I find that History compliments my other subjects really well, as I am able to transfer knowledge from History to Psychology or English Literature. It can definitely be challenging at times, but I am thankful that my History teachers are able to provide support when I need it.