History
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Below you will find information on the History Curriculum at Preston School. The five year learning journey for History is available in all student books, in the History Department, and to view here.
Year 7
In Year 7, students study four hours of History and as such, undertake six Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - The Norman Invasion
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will learn about Anglo-Saxon England during the reign of Edward the Confessor and consider why England was vulnerable to invasion. You will consider which of the possible heirs to the English throne had the stronger claim when Edward the Confessor died and the struggle that took place to secure the throne. You will evaluate the reasons for victory at the battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings in 1066, the year which saw the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on the work that you complete about the contenders to the throne. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an essay about the reasons for Harold Godwinson’s victory in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. You will undertake a summative assessment on the reasons for William of Normandy’s victory in the Battle of Hastings. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Changes to England after 1066
Overview: During the second Study Cycle, you will learn about the way that England changed after William I became king. You will explore how the Normans changed the way in which the country was governed and even its’ landscape, by looking at the structure and impact of the castles they built. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a judgment as to which method of control most helped William rule England. You will undertake a knowledge retrieval assessment that will assess your knowledge from this study cycle. This will entail a mixture of questions on Norman rule. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - The Power of the Church
Overview: During the third Study Cycle of the year, you will look at the importance and power of the Catholic Church in Medieval England. We will then look at the power struggle between William I’s son, William Rufus and his Archbishop Anselm and evaluate who really held the most power in Medieval England. We finish by investigating the murder of Thomas Becket and consider whether Henry II was to blame for his death. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on the work that you complete about William II and Archbishop Anselm. You will undertake a summative assessment on a project you will complete on the death of Archbishop Thomas Beckett. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - How did the Black Death impact people’s lives?
Overview: In this Study Cycle, you will study a global pandemic in the Middle Ages called the Black Death. You will examine how it arrived on England’s shores and then spread, the symptoms of the disease and Medieval people’s attempts to understand the causes and invent cures. You will also consider the consequences of the disease for individuals and the wider political, economic, social and religious context, which will help you to discover how the power of the Church started to lessen after 1351. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on how the conditions in towns aided the spread of the Black Death once the disease arrived to England in 1348. You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on how the conditions in towns aided the spread of the Black Death once the disease arrived to England in 1348. You will complete one project-based assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a project where you examine the impact the Black Death had on society during the Middle Ages. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - The Peasants’ Revolt
Overview: During the fifth Study Cycle of the year, you will learn about the Peasant’s Revolt, the first great popular rebellion in English history, when ordinary people tried to demand a better standard of living from the Crown. We will study the causes and link these back to the Black Death and evaluate the consequences of the Revolt and whether the peasants achieved their aims. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 - Early Tudors
Overview: During the final Study Cycle of the year, you will learn about the start of the Tudor dynasty with Henry VII and then focus on the reign of Henry VIII and the impact his reign had upon England. The Reformation will be examined from different perspectives as you begin to evaluate its consequences, come of which are still felt today. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Year 8
In Year 8, students study four hours of History and as such, undertake six Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - Queen Elizabeth’s Reign
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will look at the significance of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. You will build on prior knowledge acquired in Year 7 with work on the Tudors. Understanding the religious background before Elizabeth allows students to understand the causes of the Spanish Armada- one of Elizabeth’s more famous contributions. You will start to examine Britain’s place in the wider world through Elizabeth’s reign. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on the causes of the Spanish Armada. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback as part of the assessment preparation for the Big Write for Elizabeth I. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Spanish Armada study. This will provide you with an assessment grade. This will take shape in the form of a ‘History Big Write’. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Why was there conflict in the Stuart period?
Overview: This Study Cycle follows on from Elizabeth’s death and looks at her successor, James I. Continuing with the theme of religion you will unpick the problems this creates for James I, which leads to perhaps the most famous plot of all time. This Study Cycle gives you the chance to analyse key sources and make judgements for yourself about that historic day. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on using evidence to form an opinion on the Gunpowder Plot. You will complete one project-based assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a project where you compare the reigns of James I and Charles I to assess why there was opposition to their rule. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - What were the horrors of the Slave Trade?
Overview: During the third Study Cycle of the year, you will work from prior knowledge of the British Empire and one of the darkest periods of history- the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. You will learn how such a thing came to be accepted for hundreds of years, how enslaved people were mistreated and why enslavement eventually came to an end through abolition. This Study Cycle also lays down the foundations in helping to understand later topics in the year. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive a Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing that focuses on the demand for slaves. You will also receive Whole Class Feedback that will help you prepare for your summative assessment and why ask why slavery was allowed. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Enslavement study. This will provide you with an assessment grade. This will take shape in the form of a ‘History Big Write’. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - The Civil Rights Movement
Overview: This Study Cycle follows on from our learning about the slave trade looking at how the end of slavery affected African Americans and whether it resulted in freedom and equality. You will learn about the struggle of key individuals in 1950s and 60s America and how the creation of the non-violent Civil Rights Movement gradually brought about change. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the consequences of the campaign for equality of education for African Americans. You will undertake a knowledge retrieval assessment that will assess your knowledge from this study cycle. This will entail a mixture of questions on the Civil Rights Movement. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - Assassination of a President
Overview: During the penultimate Study Cycle of the year, you will study the assassination of President Kennedy. This study has links with the Civil Rights Movement and allows students to gather evidence over a series of lessons to make substantiated judgements. This cycle includes lots of historical sources to be analysed. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 - Industrial Period
Overview: During the final Study Cycle of the year, you will undertake a look at a period of great change in British history. A study of this period leaves students with knowledge ready to build on in Year 9. This study also includes the chance to investigate history close to home with a focus on the History of Yeovil. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Year 9
In Year 9, students study four hours of History and as such, undertake six Study Cycles during the year.
Study Cycle 1 - The Politics of the Early Twentieth Century
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will start by looking at the fin de siècle period of the late 19th Century to determine its impact on the politics of the start of the 1900s and how the views of the Industrial Age – as studied in Year 8 – were still influencing life. The particular focus will be on what led to conditions being perfect for the outbreak of World War One. You will also examine how this political landscape impacted the Governments reaction to the actions of the Suffragettes. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the significance of the Suffragettes actions. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the most significant reason for tension rising in Europe in 1914. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Politics of the Early Twentieth Century study area in the form of a knowledge retrieval assessment. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - The Impact World War I had on Britain
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will learn about the First World War. The focus will be on the conditions for soldiers fighting in the trenches and the how the Great War impacted life on Britain, with this there is a particular focus on the actions of women and the role these played on in them gaining suffrage in 1918. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing examining what we can learn from evidence about the conditions in the trenches. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the study cycle on the significance of the actions of the Suffragettes to women gaining the vote. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - 1920s America Opportunity & Inequality
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will learn about an important decade in the development of the USA. A period of opportunity and inequality, where some achieved wealth and status others faced the nightmare of poverty, discrimination and prejudice. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing examining the reasons behind the economic boom taking place. You will receive a second piece of Whole Class Feedback on the reasons behind difficulties faced by the population in America during the 1920s. You will undertake two summative assessments. One will be a project you will complete on the impact of the economic boom and the second is a Big Write examining interpretations of this period. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - Between the Wars: USA in the 1920s
Overview: The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - Between the Wars: Germany in the 1930s
Overview: During the fifth Study Cycle of the year, you will look at the second case study between the wars by examining Germany in the 1930s. This will look at how Germany initially recovered from the negative impact World War One had on the country before studying the damaging impact the Wall Street Crash had on Germany and how this paved the way for the Nazis to take over. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 - The Second World War and the Holocaust
Overview: During the final Study Cycle of the year, you will study key events during the Second World War and the importance of these on the eventual end of war in 1945. You end the year by examining the Holocaust, looking at how this extremely important and harrowing historical event was allowed to happen, how people tried to fight against it and what the conditions people were forced to live through in the concentration and death camps. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
GCSE History
Below you will find information on the History curriculum at Preston School. The five year learning journey for History is available in all student books, in the History Department, and to view here.
One of the GCSE options available to students is GCSE History. In the video below, Mr Horsington, our History teacher provides an overview of the course.
Year 10
During this year you will start your History GCSE work with the four chosen units: Conflict and Tension: The First World War, 1894 - 1918; Elizabethan England, c1568 - 1603; Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to the present day; and America, 1920 – 73: Opportunity and Inequality.
Study Cycle 1 - The Causes of the First World War
Overview: During this topic, you will start the study of the Conflict and Tension unit of work by examining the main reasons for a world war beginning. You will explore relationships between Europe’s main powers leading into the Twentieth Century, eventually resulting in Europe to be split into two and causing great tension. You will determine both short and long-term causes of the Great War. This links to knowledge that you will have studied in Year 9. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the Moroccan Crisis. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an examination as to who was to blame for World War One. You will receive a final Whole Class Feedback on the view of German preparations for World War one. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge quiz on Conflict and Tension Part One. You will answer a variety of knowledge based questions. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet is available to view here.
Study Cycle 2 - Elizabeth’s Court and Parliament
Overview: This Study Cycle starts with investigating the origins of Elizabeth and her complex Tudor family, furthering the study you conducted in Year 7 and 8. You will understand how Elizabeth came to power and then start to unpick how she was able to consolidate her power. You will study the religious complications during her reign and the impact these had domestically during her reign. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on Privy Council- extended writing, and Elizabeth and marriage- extending writing. You will undertake a summative assessment for this Study Cycle which consists of questions on Elizabeth’s Government, the Northern Rebellion and Elizabeth’s decision to stay unmarried. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - The Middle Ages: Medicine Stands Still
Overview: During the third Study Cycle of the year, you will go back in time and investigate the Medieval period and its approach to medicine. You will learn the main medical pioneers of the Medieval time and unpick why their ideas were so prominent throughout. You will understand the importance of religion and its impact on the progression within the medical world. A key section of this will be your study of the Black Death, which you examined in Year 7. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the importance of Hippocrates and Galen. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an examination of a contemporary source about the impact of Christianity on medicine. You will receive a final Whole Class Feedback on an examination on the impact monasteries had on public health. You will complete one project-based assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a project where you compare the impact of the Black Death of 1348 and the Great Plague of 1665. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - The Renaissance: The Beginnings of Change
Overview: In this Study Cycle, you will continue building on the knowledge acquired previously. This cycle will show you how the Renaissance period very slowly starts to encourage development in medicine. You will learn of the ‘Renaissance Heroes’ and how some parts of society started to move away from traditional ideas. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the significance of a key individual. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the importance of developments to surgery in helping the advancement of medicine. You will undertake a summative assessment for this Study Cycle which consists of questions on the smallpox vaccine, surgery during the Renaissance and a comparison of the Black Death and The Great Plague. This will provide you with an assessment grade. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - Americans’ Experiences of the Depression and New Deal
Overview: For this Study Cycle you will continue the American Unit. In a stark contrast to previous learning with America, you will investigate the Wall Street Crash and its contribution to a global depression. You will determine the impact of the Great Depression throughout the 1930s, politically, socially, and economically. Finally, you discover the importance of the Second World War and the widespread effect of this. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing Roosevelt’s presidential election. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on the impact of World War Two on two key groups of society. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge quiz on USA Part Two. You will answer a variety of knowledge-based questions. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 6 - The First World War: Stalemate
Overview: For the penultimate Study Cycle, you will follow the War to understand why it prolonged into years of conflict. You will follow the course of the war and discover the sheer brutality of trench warfare which saw a ‘War of Attrition’. You will evaluate war tactics and the development of weapons over time that helped shape the war. You will also study conflict on land, sea, and air. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the consequences of the Schlieffen Plan failing. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an examination of the developments which took place during the war. You will undertake a summative assessment during this Study Cycle which will be based on a Paper One exam. This will comprise of the Conflict and Tension, 1894 - 1918 and the America, 1920 – 73 topics. Each topics exam will last for one hour. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 7 - Life in Elizabethan Times
Overview: This Study Cycle allows you to see what life was like in Elizabethan society, starting with the social hierarchy, establishing the different experiences between rich and poor. You will study how the queen dealt with the increasing problem of the poor and judge how effective these actions were. You will finish off the cycle by learning about Elizabeth’s lust for empire and power oversees. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and will be available to view here soon.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on Elizabethan theatre. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on poverty during the Elizabethan period. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge quiz on Elizabethan England Part Two. You will answer a variety of knowledge-based questions. An overview of the assessment opportunities in this Study Cycle will be available to view here soon.
Year 11
During this year, you will be studying the final parts of each of the exam units. These include:
Conflict and Tension: Ending the War
Elizabethan England: Troubles at home and abroad
America, 1920 – 1973: Post War America
Health and the people: Modern Medicine
Elizabethan England: Historical Environment – Sheffield Manor Lodge
Study Cycle 1 - Ending the War
Overview: During this topic, you will complete the study of the Conflict and Tension unit of work by examining the reasons for World War One coming to an end on 11th November 1918. You will examine the importance of key factors such as the USA’s entry, Russia’s exit, the changing weapons and tactics whilst fighting on the Western Front, the importance of key individuals and many other reasons for the First World War ending. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on Russia’s withdrawal from World War One. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on a comparison of two sources examining the Hundred Days. You will receive a final Whole Class Feedback on the actions of Ferdinand Foch and how they led to the end of the First World War. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the End of World War One study area in the form of a mini exam that will be modelled around the questions you have already answered in this booklet. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 2 - Troubles at Home and Abroad
Overview: During this Study Cycle, you will examine the pressures placed upon Queen Elizabeth I from within England. This will be primarily based around her issues with religion and the problem of succession, especially with Mary, Queen of Scots in the country. You will also examine the external pressure points placed on Elizabeth I with the main focus being Elizabeth’s relations with Spain and the threat of the Spanish Armada. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: Whole Class Feedback on how convincing an interpretation is about the religious settlement. Whole Class Feedback on the importance of Mary, Queen of Scots arrival in England in 1568. Whole Class Feedback on an account of the failure of the Spanish Armada. You will undertake a summative assessment during this Study Cycle which will be based on a Paper One exam. This will comprise of the Conflict and Tension, 1894 - 1918 and the America, 1920 – 73 topics. Each topics exam will last for one hour. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 3 - Post-War America
Overview: During the third Study Cycle of the year, you will learn about how society in the USA changed between 1945 – 1973. This will focus on key areas such as the creation of teenage culture, the second Red Scare, the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of feminism. You will also study the policies of two key presidents: John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on post-war American society. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on campaigners challenging segregation. You will complete one formal assessment for this Study Area. This assessment will be a knowledge retention assessment on America Unit Three. You will answer a variety of knowledge-based questions examining your knowledge from the unit. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 4 - Modern Medicine: 1900 – The Present Day
Overview: In this Study Cycle, you continue with your study of public health and medical developments. In this final unit, the focus is on examining the changes that have taken place from 1900 to the present day. These include examining the role war has played in developing medical idea, the rise of the pharmaceutical industry and the creation of the NHS. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: You will receive Whole Class Feedback on a piece of writing focusing on the significance of the development of penicillin. You will receive another Whole Class Feedback on an essay focusing on the key factors and the development of surgery and knowledge of the anatomy. You will undertake a summative assessment during this Study Cycle which will be based on a Paper Two exam. This will comprise of the Britain: Health and the people, c1000 – present day and Elizabethan England, c1568 - 1603. The entire exam will last two hours. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
Study Cycle 5 - The Historic Environment Study: Sheffield Manor Lodge
Overview: During the fifth Study Cycle of the year, you will look at Sheffield manor Lodge which is the historical environment study for exams in 2023. In your learning of this site, you will explore the key people associated with the location, events that happened at this location and how the location was designed and the function of the building. Within the Elizabethan England, 1568 - 1603 exam at the end of the year, question four will always be about this location. The Study Cycle Overview sheet is available in all student books and to view here.
Assessment Opportunities: Whole Class Feedback writing an account of the importance of Sheffield Manor Lodge. Whole Class Feedback assessing the impact Mary, Queen of Scots had on English politics. You will undertake a summative assessment at the end of the Historic Sit Study study area in the form of a knowledge retrieval assessment. This will provide you with an assessment grade. The Study Cycle Summative Assessment sheet will be available to view here soon.
