History

The History Department at Notre Dame and St Boniface’s aims to develop students’ interest in and enjoyment of studying the past whilst acquiring transferable skills, habits of mind and concepts essential to the 21st century citizen.  History prepares young people for the future, equipping them with the knowledge and skills prized in adult life, enhancing their employability and ability to participate in our democratic society to the full.

The study of History enables students to:

1. Gain a big picture framework (overview) of the past that they can slot other knowledge (depth) into.

2. See that some events are viewed as more significant than others and this view of significance can change.

3. Realise that history is constructed from contemporary evidence, much of which is unreliable (though still useful).

4. Understand that history isn’t the past but is a construct and appreciate that people construct the past based on their own beliefs, views, and contexts.

5. Are able to see how, when and why change happens – and to see the extent and pace of change, and how change isn’t always progression

6. Develop their appreciation and knowledge of the language of history by bumping into key terms (parliament, church, capitalism etc) in different contexts. 

7. Write (and talk) increasingly well and with more and more sophistication.

8.  Have a real appreciation of the social, political, cultural, religious and economic ‘angles’ of history.

9.  See things from the eyes of the people in the past and know that different people saw things differently. Also, students should be able to see that ideas and actions of people in the past are in some ways similar but in other ways different to our own.

As a Department we aim to demonstrate Lucy Worsley’s view of History (Britain’s Biggest Fibs) that: 

‘Lots of people remember their history lessons from school as dates and battles, kings and queens, facts and figures. But the story of our past is open to interpretation. And much of British history is a carefully edited and even deceitful version of events. You might think that history is just a record of what happened. Actually, it’s not like that at all. As soon as you do a little digging, you discover that it’s more like a tapestry of different stories woven together by whoever was in power at the time.’

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 follows a chronological structure allowing students to gain a big picture framework (overview) of the past that they can slot other knowledge (depth) into. 

7 substantive concepts underpin our Key Stage 3 curriculum: Authority (monarchy/government etc..), Religion, War, Rights, Empire, Protest and Persecution. Enquiries are chosen as they illuminate a particular aspect of one or more of these concepts and thus students develop their understanding of each concept as they encounter them in different historical contexts and periods. Disciplinary knowledge is also interwoven so students develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the Second Order Concepts of Chronology, Evidence, Cause and Consequence, Change and Continuity, Significance and Interpretation. 

Year 7:

• ‘Why was England a battlefield in 1066?’

• How did the Black Death Change Britain? 

• Why has Mansa Musa been described as the greatest Mansa in History?

• Why was the Reformation significant? 

• How should Plymouth remember the Mayflower?

Year 8:

• What lay behind Britain’s transatlantic slave trade? 

• How did Britain become modern?

• How was Plymouth affected by World War One? 

• Was democracy under threat between the wars? 

Year 9

• How did different countries experience World War Two?

• How should we remember the Holocaust?

• How has our understanding of medicine changed over time? 

KS3 Homework

For each of the units in Key Stage 3, students will be set an Independent Homework Task related to the unit they are studying.  This task is designed to encourage our students to become independent and active learners.  The homework will be set towards the start of each unit and will be due at the end.  As there is always a choice of task, they allow students to deepen their understanding in an area of the unit they are particularly interested in.  It also helps students develop time management skills as they are encouraged to spend 30 minutes a week on the task; rather than complete it in one go.  On the due date, students participate in a ‘show and assess’ lesson where they get a chance to show their work to the other students in the class.  These are popular lessons where students enjoy ‘wowin’ use with their research and creativity.

Key Stage 5

We offer the Edexcel History A level course.

Year 12

A Level:

• Unit 1: German and West Germany, 1918-89

• Spain, 1930-78: Republicanism, Francoism and the re-establishment of democracy.

Year 13

A Level:

• Protest, agitation and parliamentary reform in Britain, 1780-1928.

• An independent Study based on Civil Rights in the USA, 1863-1980.

KS5 Homework

All homework at A Level is set through Google classroom, to which students receive an invite at the start of the course.  Students should expect to complete 1 hour of homework for every taught hour.  Google classroom also includes all of the key documents a student needs, such as knowledge organisers and personalised learning checklists as well as links to a wealth of revision material.