Course Leader:

Ms L McLeod – lmcleod@sackvilleschool.org.uk

Exam board: Pearson Edexcel

Guidance: Grade 6 in GCSE history and grade 5 in at least one English GCSE. Applicants achieving a grade 5 in history may still be considered (case by case) by the department. Ideally you should have studied history at GCSE, but this is not essential. You should enjoy history and welcome the challenge of working independently as well as with guidance.

Course length: 2 Years

Course description

Studying history will help you to argue clearly, think logically, evaluate evidence, discuss your own ideas and communicate effectively. You will study a range of social, economic and political history, both in Britain and in the wider world. History A level combines well with many other A level subjects, demonstrating you have effective literacy skills and a wide ranging knowledge of world issues. History can give you the skills most employers want and is highly regarded by universities and employers alike.

Course units

The A level history course will involve looking at different aspects of British and American history. Together these courses will cover a period of 200 years.

In year 12 students will study:
Paper 1: Britain Transformed 1918-1997 (30%)
Including: economic and political challenges, the changing role and status of women, the emergence of the Welfare State, race and immigration, the impact of Thatcher’s governments on Britain.

Paper 3: The British experience of war 1790-1918 (30%)
Including: The French War, The Crimean War, The Second Boer War and the impact of the First World War on Britain. For this paper we will be inviting students on a residential trip to the battlefields of France and Belgium for a field study into the landscape of Waterloo and key battles from the First World War. 

In year 13 students will study:
Paper 2: The USA 1955-1992: Conformity and Challenge (20%)
Including: civil rights, the influence of popular culture including TV, film, music, protest movements, Watergate, the roles of presidents such as Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Reagan.

Paper 4: Historical Investigation (20%)
There will also be coursework which will involve studying differing views of historians on a topic such as The Nature of the Nazi Regime.

(Click here for course specification)

Assessment

Paper 1: Breadth study with interpretations 30%
Paper 2: Depth study 20%
Paper 3: Themes in breadth with aspects in depth 30%
Coursework 20%

What can I do with this qualification?

History can lead you into all sorts of career paths and university choices but you may be interested in a legal career, political science, journalism or international relations. History is a subject valued by universities and employers because it combines logical investigation with reasoned and substantiated argument. Students who study history often follow the subject at degree level or study for a related subject such as Law, Politics or Sociology. The study of history is useful in a wide range of careers such as the legal profession, the civil service, teaching, local government, politics, and in pressure groups and charities.  The beauty of studying A level history is that the skills you are required to develop are incredibly flexible but are especially useful in research-based occupations such as journalism, the police and the law.