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History

To understand a society and a culture it is crucial to know where we have come from.

The study of History gives us this context of the modern world so that we can better understand each other and develop into global citizen.

Emile Durkheim, the 19th French philosopher, claimed that your language and history are the most important subjects taught. His belief was that it enabled pupils to become fully functioning members of society. At Co-op Academy our intake is culturally diverse, therefore the ability to develop a shared set of knowledge, skills and British values is key to enabling students to become well-rounded citizens. This will also give them the cultural capital to access further and higher education, but also to be great people of the 21st Century. 

We are passionate about imparting the stories of people; to inspire pupils to interpret, question and debate the past. Their learning journey starts in year 7 with the Romans and concludes in year 9 with the Second World War. Throughout this chronology, students will have experienced and discussed the concepts of empire, social justice, power and control through periods such as the Tudors, Industrial Revolution and the First World War. We believe that this knowledge will allow pupils to question and make their own interpretations of the past considering the context of their modern day values. Ultimately, we would like our young historians to have an enthusiasm and engagement for discovering history beyond the classroom. This will therefore allow them to be intellectually astute enough to engage in the debates of today by recalling their knowledge of the past. 
 

About the Department

The department, consisting of three specialist teachers, is committed to raising the profile of History as a subject: we passionately believe in its value as an academic subject which should be central to a child’s education. This passion is seen in everyday lessons, using a curriculum carefully crafted and constantly evolving to suit the needs of our students, providing them with the necessary skills for success as well as equipping them with a thirst for history for life.

The department enjoys access to a wide variety of resources, from ICT suites to a modern library and more. The department offers an engaging and fun curriculum to captivate students’ minds in order to drive them to success.

Progression from Studying History

From studying History GCSE, you can go on to study it at A-Level. This can lead to studying all sorts of subjects at University or onto exciting History based apprenticeships. For example:

  • Paralegal;
  • Heritage Engineering technician.

Check out the range of apprenticeships here for which you need good History skills or take a look at some more information about History based degrees here.

History is a facilitator subject so will open the door to many different careers. Students who study geography are successful in career areas such as:

  • Journalism;
  • Law;
  • Politics;
  • Archaeology;
  • Teaching.

Or study it with other subjects such as:

  • English;
  • Archaeology;
  • Law;
  • Business.

Key Stage 4

Students entering Year 10 will be following the OCR Schools History Project syllabus at GCSE.

Content Overview Assessment Overview  
Thematic Study: Crime and Punishment 1250 – present Paper 1 80 marks 1hr 45 20% of GCSE
British Depth Study: Norman Conquest 1066-1087 20% of GCSE  
History Around Us: Warwick Castle Paper 2 40 marks + 10 SPAG1hr 20% of GCSE
Period Study: Viking Expansion c.750 – 1050 Paper 3 80 marks 1hr 45 20% of GCSE
World Depth Study: Living under Nazi Rule 1933-1945 20% of GCSE