History
The History Curriculum at SVHS exceeds the requirements as set out in the National Curriculum.
Subject Intent
Our aim is to deliver a curriculum which provides students with a wide breadth of knowledge over a large period of history. We believe that this will give students a great grounding, providing information and context which can be applied across a variety of subjects and topics, and will contribute to students’ confidence, cultural capital and ability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those from any educational background.
The ability to engage with current affairs is a driving factor in our curriculum. We want our students to be reflective and, therefore, be able to understand the causes of issues, events and movements which are affecting the world today, which is why we promote the understanding of different cultures, peoples and perspectives throughout our curriculum. Through this, we consistently link the historical topics to today’s world and encourage our students to empathise with others. We believe that showing our subject’s relevance and importance to the world will develop a love for history that will continue beyond school.
Furthermore, our curriculum constantly pushes students to make judgements based on the knowledge we provide, in order to allow them to feel confident in using evidence to structure an argument and justifying their viewpoint. The History curriculum should help our students become effective communicators who feel able to be courageous in debate. The focus on literacy and key vocabulary should also enable our students to become confident readers who are capable of analysing the reliability of sources and being skilled in comparing multiple perspectives.
The curriculum is designed so that students are building on their knowledge throughout their five years at Spen Valley High School. We have created links throughout the curriculum so knowledge is revisited in order to become part of their long-term memory, and skills are built upon as they progress through the curriculum.
An excellent student in History should be able to effectively and confidently analyse the following ideas: Significance, Cause and Consequence, Change and Continuity, Similarity and Difference. They will successfully be able to evaluate interpretations and sources using their developed contextual knowledge and independent research. This student should be able to use the skills acquired in History to navigate their future lives, such as prioritising, creating an argument and critically evaluating options. In addition they will be able to understand the world around them and their connection to time, place and community; and critically use the information in their everyday lives to make decisions. They will be able to understand the History of Britain and its key turning points which have helped to develop our nation, and assess the impact upon society. A detailed understanding of chronology and patterns of change and development over time.
As independent thinkers their work will be well structured and analytical. Dates and statistics are used consistently in their work. They can sequence events chronologically, and can understand and interpret sources, charts, graphs and statistics and apply this to their extended writing. Students are independent learners and are driven with high expectations. They use their initiative to complete challenging activities, and are reflective upon their learning. Students are eager to participate and engage in learning. They have developed critical thinking skills to solve problems.
Qualifications and Revision Websites
Edexcel GCSE History
Topic 1: Medicine Through Time and the Western Front
Topic 2: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England
Topic 3: The American West
Topic 4: Weimar and Nazi Germany