HISTORY

Our story – past tense

“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree ”- Michael Crichton.

History provides students with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the past. Understanding our history helps us understand who we are, where we have come from, and can even help us understand where we are going. Historians are like detectives, they use evidence to find out what happened, why it happened, and what the impact was. Through their History lessons students will develop the skills they need in order to examine the past effectively and draw their own conclusions about what they find.

Department Staff and Responsibilities

Mr M Madren – Teaching and Learning Co-ordinator
Miss L Hutt – Teacher of History
Miss M Jones – Teacher of History
Mr J Wright – Teacher of History

Key stage 3

At KS3 students have the opportunity to learn more about the history of Britain and the wider world. We will look at the development of Britain’s cultural, political, and religious identity, as well as examining the impact that Britain has had on the wider world. We will also examine key historical developments in other countries in order to give our pupils an appreciation for the wide variety of experiences that different people have had throughout history.

Year 7 Topics

Term 1 What is History?

Migration to Britain before 1066.
The Norman Conquest

Term 2

Life in Medieval England.
The Development of Church and State in the Medieval Period.

Term 3

Life in Tudor England
The Development of Church and State during the Tudor period.

Year 8 Topics

Term 1

The English Civil War
Britain and Empire

Term 2

Slavery
The Age of Revolution

Term 3

The Industrial Revolution
The Fight for Equality

Year 9 Topics

Term 1

The First World War
Local History: Leigh from the Industrial Revolution to the First World War

Term 2

Britain, Europe, and America between the Wars.
Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe

Term 3

The Second World War
The Holocaust

GCSE History

At GCSE we study the Edexcel History specification. As part of their GCSE pupils will study a range of options covering both British history and history from the wider world. We will cover the following units during years 10 and 11:

Thematic Study: Medicine in Britain, c1250–present.

Study of a Historical Environment: The British sector of the Western Front, 1914–18: injuries, treatment and the trenches.

British Depth Study: Anglo-Saxon and Norman England, c1060–88.

Period Study: The American West, c1835–c1895.

Modern Depth Study: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918–39.

Subject Intent and Learning Journey

The following link outlines what students will learn at each stage of their journey at Bedford in History. This includes the key knowledge, skills and concepts they will encounter through their exciting and aspirational journey in History. History Curriculum Intent and Learning Journey