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OFSTED OUTSTANDING

History

The History Department at All Hallows Catholic High School is a vibrant and exciting area of the school. We are committed to delivering high quality, challenging, interesting and appropriate learning experiences to all our students, inside and outside of the classroom. History is a popular subject at All Hallows and we work hard to provide our students with the tools to be successful.

Pupils studying History not only learn the subject but also gain invaluable transferable skills such as research, assimilation, comprehension and analysis of material; the formulation of reasoned interpretation, and the development of an ability to communicate clear and coherent judgements.

Accomodation

The History Department has two purpose built rooms, each containing an interactive whiteboard. The department has access to 32 Surface tablets for pupils to engage in research, presentations, decision making exercises, podcasting and movie making.

Teaching Staff

  • Mr D Wallbanks (Head of History)
  • Mrs  Washington (Teacher of History/Assistant Headteacher)
  • Mrs R Ellis-Lomas (Teacher of History)
  • Mrs C Wallbanks (Teacher of History/Assistant Headteacher)

We offer an innovative curriculum at Key Stage 3. All pupils follow a structured curriculum at Key Stage 3 in two periods per week during Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9. Pupils have the opportunity to work individually, in pairs and in collaboratively during the following topics.

Year 7Year 8Year 9Key Stage 4

Autumn

  • What is History
  • Pre 1066 – Why did the Romans settle in Britain?

Spring

  • The development of Church, state and society in Medieval Britain, 1066- 1509

Summer

  • Medicine through time – a chronological study

Autumn

  • The Tudor Monarchs 1485 – 1603
  • Was Guy Fawkes Framed?

Spring

  • What were the significant causes of the English Civil War?
  • A Local Study –Pendle Witches

Summer

  • The Industrial Revolution – How far had Britain changed between 1745-1901?

Autumn

  • The British Empire and the Slave Trade
  • The American Civil Rights Movement

Spring

  • A study of the First World War
  • Challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world 1901 to the present day

Summer

  • What was life like in Britain during the Second World War?
  • A lesson from History – The Holocaust. Depth Study

All pupils studying GCSE History will follow the AQA Modern World History course in three lessons per week. Pupils have the opportunity to work individually, in pairs and in collaboratively during the following topics.

Year 10

Paper 1 – This is divided into 2 sections.

Section A – America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality module.

This topic enables students to understand the development of the USA during the 20th century, focusing on opportunity and inequality.

Section B – Conflict and Tension in Asia, 1950 – 1975.

This unit focuses on the Korean and Vietnam wars, and seeks to show how and why conflict occurred and why it proved difficult to resolve the tensions which arose.

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Year 11

Paper 2 – This is divided into 2 sections.

Section A – Britain: Health and the people: c1000 to the present day.

This topic studies the development of medicine, surgery and improvements in public health since the Middle Ages.

Section B – Elizabethan England, c1568 – 1603.

This unit studies the challenges and changes that took place when Elizabeth I and assesses the impact of religion, trade, foreign affairs and Elizabeth’s private life.

Each paper lasts for 1hour 45 minutes and is worth 50% of the overall GCSE grade award.

For further details of the AQA GCSE course please contact Mr Wallbanks.

Extra-Curricular Enrichment and Visits

The department believes in bringing History to life and offers opportunities to enrich students experience of learning about History. Every Wednesday lunchtime there is an Activities Club for Key Stage 3 students. All Year 7 pupils visit Beeston Castle in the Summer term as part of the ‘Why were castles built?’ topic. All Year 9 pupils visit Liverpool Museums as part of the ‘Empire and Slavery’ topic.

Year 10 pupils have the opportunity to visit London as part of their studies in Elizabethan England and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, whilst our Year 11 pupils recently visited Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire as part of their studies of stately homes.