Our aim in History at Westhoughton High School is that all pupils understand their place in Britain in the 21st century and understand how history has shaped the world and current events. Budding historians are encouraged to think critically, make reasoned arguments and debate their opinions. We regard this as highly relevant learning as the past often informs the present and the future, with the skills learned in evaluation, research and interpretation having significance for students’ future learning and employment. History lessons offer all students the opportunity to develop these skills as well as building a body of knowledge about local history, the history of Britain and the wider world, which will help them make sense of the world they live in today.
In History, pupils will develop a deeper understanding of concepts such as power, rights, religion, resistance, conflict, society and empire in their study of the government, the Church and the people from Medieval England, the Tudors and Stuarts, Empire, Slavery, the Industrial Revolution, World War 1, inter-war dictators, World War 2, the Holocaust and Civil Rights in the 20th Century. Our curriculum is developed to bring to life engaging topics from the past to understand the lessons learnt throughout history and the impact on the world, and society, we live in today.
Our students will study key events, organisations and people in history through key disciplinary skills such as cause and consequence, significance, change and continuity, similarity and difference in the acquisition of this historical knowledge.
Please see parental overview of the course in KS3 and KS4 below.
Key Stage 3
Year 7 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Topics Studied | Think Like An… Historical Skills An introduction to a range of historical skills and terminology to think and speak like an historian. | The Middle Ages Students learn of the impact the Norman Conquest had on Britain. This provides students with a wider understanding of the period in British history that still holds significance today. The module engages students with the events of the Battle of Hastings, the establishment of Norman control of England and it also introduces students to historical sites such as castles that they may have visited. | Religion in History Students learn how important religion was in the Middle Ages, with the importance of the Catholic Church in Europe then develop an overview of the Crusades. Students learn about different challenges to medieval monarchs from the Church, nobility and the people and examine the impact of these challenges on the government of the country. | Medieval Monarchs Students learn of the different challenges to medieval monarchs from the Church, nobility and the people and examine the impact of these challenges on the government of the country. Students explore the Tudors and the issues between the King and the Church which led to the Break from Rome and the Reformation. | The Stuart Monarchs Students explore the changes to religion in England and the impact of those changes. Students learn, in-depth, about the challenges faced by Queen Elizabeth such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Students then explore the other challenges faced by Stuart monarchs such as the Gunpowder Plot and the causes, events and consequences of the English Civil Wars. | Change and Continuity Students begin their learning by comparing the Black Death and Great Plague to investigate change and continuity. This is followed by a study focused on the development of castles throughout the medieval period and learn how it fits into the chronology of their studies throughout Year 7. |
Key Knowledge Taught |
BC/AD Centuries Causation Consequence Tollund Man Types of evidence How evidence is used in History Chronology Cause & consequence Use of evidence Change & Continuity | Power– monarchy, Witan, nobility, control, terror
Rights– Feudalism, protest, law Resistance– revolt, rebellion Society– social hierarchy, class |
Religion– Church, Papacy, Catholic, Muslim, Crusade
Power – Monarchy, Parliament, Rights Conflict, Resistance, Society. Resistance – revolt |
Religion – Church, Papacy, Catholic
Power – monarchy, Parliament Rights – protest, law Resistance – revolt |
Religion – Church, Protestant, Catholic
Power – monarchy, Parliament Conflict – battle, invasion, Civil War |
Religion – Church
Power – Church, monarch Conflict – attack, defence, siege Society – poverty |
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Year 8 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Topics Studied | British Influence on the World Students learn about the impact of Britain on the rest of the world. Students develop an understanding about British ruling whilst also leading into the importance and formation of the Industrial Revolution. | Slavery Students study the reasons for the abolition of The Slave Trade. Students will connect The Slave Trade and the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Students also learn of the impact of the Industrial Revolution locally. | Industrial Revolution Students use contextual knowledge of the empire and slavery to examine the role they played in the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Students learn about the key reasons for industrialisation and the impact of the industrial revolution on the people through their working and living conditions. | A Sense of (In)Justice Students investigate why Jack the Ripper was never caught. Building to this sense of justice/ injustice, students learn about the role of women in the 19th century. Students also look at the role of the police and the attitudes to immigrants at this time. Students discuss justice. | Causes of World War I Students learn about the causes of the First World War, the events of the war and the impact of new technology on warfare. Students investigate what life was like in the trenches for British soldiers as well as the contribution of Empire troops to the war effort. Students study different interpretations of the leadership of the army. | Post-War Treaties Students learn how the war ended and the post war treaties, in particular the Treaty of Versailles. This is important for a later understanding of the rise of Hitler and causes of the Second World War. Students learn about the contribution of women to the war effort and other reasons for some women gaining the vote in 1918. |
Skills and Key Knowledge Taught |
Empire – imperialism, colonialism, trade
Resistance – revolt, mutiny, active, passive Rights – slavery, colonialism Society – African culture Cause & Consequence Using Evidence |
Power – government, democracy
Rights – slavery, protest Society – class, poverty, culture Cause Consequence Using Evidence Change/continuity Similarity/difference |
Power – government, democracy
Rights – slavery, protest Society – class, poverty, culture Cause Consequence Using Evidence Significance |
Society – class, poverty, working class culture Use of evidence Cause | Power – government
Empire – imperialism Conflict – foreign policy, nationalism, invasion, propaganda |
Power – democracy, government
Rights – protest/ suffrage |
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Year 9 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Topics Studied | Dictatorships Students explore the reasons why dictators were able to rise to power in the USSR and Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. Students explore life in a country under dictator ruling. The core focus is to develop an understanding of whether this type of leadership benefited the people who lived in those countries, whilst building contextual knowledge of causes of WW2. | World War Two Students learn of the main causes and events of WW2, building on from Autumn 1’s unit. Students evaluate which events were the most important turning points in WW2. | Persecution Students learn of the persecution of European Jews that escalated during the 1930s and 1940s, challenging students’ misconceptions around the Holocaust. Through our sequence of learning, students begin to raise questions around how the Holocaust was allowed to happen. | Race Relations Students explore the issue of race relations in the USA from the 1950s –1970s, building on previous knowledge from The Slave Trade. Students will form comparisons with race relations in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s. This is particularly relevant to issues in the modern world and students learn greater context behind these issues. | Race Relations Continued Students continue with their understanding of race relations whilst analysing interpretations of the key individuals and events of the period as well as examining contemporary evidence to evaluate the contribution of individuals and significance of events. | Post-War Britain Students learn about life in post-war Britain beginning with the decline of the British Empire. Students explore life in Britain through three key themes: immigration, the position and role of women and the emergence of the teenager and teen culture. This unit links to previous learning on women’s position in society, the empire, and concepts such as rights, resistance, society and empire. |
Skills and Key Knowledge Taught |
Power – dictatorship, totalitarian, fascism. Communism, terror
Rights – peasants, protest, revolution Society – inequality, terror Use of evidence Cause Consequence Similarity/Difference |
Power – Prime Minister, democracy
Conflict – foreign policy, Total War, nationalism, invasion, treaty, propaganda Consequence Interpretations Significance |
Power – totalitarian, fascism, terror
Rights – Civil Rights, law Religion – Judaism, persecution Resistance – passive/ active Use of evidence Cause Consequence Significance |
Power – democracy, state/federal
Rights – Civil Rights, protest, law, Supreme Court Resistance – passive/ active Society – equality, culture, class Empire – Racism Use of evidence/ interpretations Significance Change/Continuity Similarity/Difference |
Power – democracy, state/federal
Rights – Civil Rights, protest, law, Supreme Court Resistance – passive/ active Society – equality, culture, class Empire – Racism Use of evidence/ interpretations Significance Change/Continuity Similarity/Difference |
Rights – Civil Rights, protest, law, Supreme Court
Resistance – passive/ active Society – equality, culture, class Empire – Racism |
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Key Stage 4
Year 10 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Topics Studied for GCSE History with Edexcel |
Medicine on Britain 1250-modern day | Medicine on Britain 1250-modern day. Historic environment study: medicine on the Western Front during the WW1 | The American West c1830-1890 | The American West c1830-1890 | Anglo-Saxon and Norman England c1060-c1088 | Anglo-Saxon and Norman England c1060-c1088 |
Skills and Key Knowledge Taught |
Cause & consequence
Change & continuity Miasma Theory of the Four Humours Theory of Opposites Purging Bloodletting Barber surgeon Physician Apothecary Prevention Treatment Renaissance |
Cause & Consequence
Change & continuity Utility of sources Spontaneous generation Inoculation Vaccination Germ Theory Microbes Laissez-faire Public Health Microbes Genetics Blood transfusion Evacuation route |
Manifest destiny
Band Council Sioux Nation Nomadic Tipi Frontier Pioneers Settlement Government policy |
Lawlessness
Outlaw Claim jumping Vigilance committee Homesteaders Railroad Reservation Ranch Open range Extermination |
Anglo-Saxon
Monarch Earldom Thegn ceorls Peasants Burh Hostages Housecarls Fyrd |
Succession crisis
Claimant Norman Submission Oath Marcher earldom Harrying Uprising Rebellion |
Links for Support/ Help at Home |
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Year 11 | Autumn Term 1 | Autumn Term 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 |
Topics Studied for GCSE History with Edexcel |
Anglo-Saxon and Norman England c1060-c1088 | The USA- conflict at home and abroad 1954-75 | The USA- conflict at home and abroad 1954-75 | Class-specific revision and interventions Revision foci will differ between groups and students to ensure their assessment data is used to direct teaching and independent learning. | Class-specific revision and interventions Revision foci will differ between groups and students to ensure their assessment data is used to direct teaching and independent learning. | Exams undertaken |
Skills and Key Knowledge Taught |
Feudal system
Tenants-in-chief Domesday survey Normanisation Forfeiture Homage Regent |
Segregation
Desegregation Dixiecrats Federal government State government Republican Democrat White supremacy Lynching Congress Senate Passive resistance |
Capitalism
Communism Containment Viet Minh Viet Cong Guerrilla warfare Defoliation Napalm Agent Orange Search and Destroy Draft system Vietnamisation |
Accumulation of all skills and key content throughout the course | Accumulation of all skills and key content throughout the course | |
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