Two distinct courses are offered at GCSE. Both include the development of historical skills and source analysis to assess their usefulness/reliabilities, limitations, provenance and bias.
Both courses include coursework which is a mixture of source analysis and essay writing based upon students research and investigation.
 

Modern World History
Focused on the twentieth century. Depth studies are based upon two countries going through dramatic change in the early twentieth century. Russia is studied from 1914 – 41 covering the problems Russia faced in WW1, the overthrow of the Tsar and subsequent establishment of the Bolshevik dictatorships. The rise of Stalin, the dramatic upheaval of the Purges, collectivisation and the 5 year plans.
 

Germany is studied from 1929 -1939 covering the reasons for the rise to power of the Nazis and the impact of the Nazi state especially on women and young people.
 

The Breadth study features the Cold war, covering relations between USA & USSR between 1945 – 91, covering the Berlin airlift, the building of the Berlin Wall and its eventual demolition with the end of Communist rule, the Arms race, the Cuban Missile Crisis and Afghanistan are all studied.
 

Coursework is based upon Britian's role in help upto defeat Germany in World War 2 and British experience on the Home Front. A visit is made to the London Imperial War Museum. 

School History Project

Depth study combines a variety of historical topics is based upon Elizabethan England (1558 – 1603).  The development study is Medicine Through Time, from Prehistory to the Present Day.
 

Topics studied are:
 

Elizabethan Government, the role of the monarch and parliament.
Why poverty was a serious problem and how it was dealt with.
Religious challenges to the state by Protestants and Roman Catholics.
The role of the theatre and the impact of Voyages of discovery.
Medicine in Ancient civilisation, the Renaissance and Public health in Britain are studied, as are developments in surgery and treatment of diseases.
The role of key individuals is also explored.
Coursework is based upon and a local history study based on visit to a site of significance in the 19th Century industrial revolution.

• Year 7
• Year 8
• Year 9
• KS5
• History Homepage