History
History
At The Angmering School, our History curriculum is driven by our core values of ambition, respect, and courage, providing students with the essential tools to understand why the world is the way it is today. We aim to foster a deep respect for the diversity of human experience by exploring a wide breadth of history, from Great African Civilisations and Medieval Realms to the complexities of the British Slave Trade and the Holocaust. Through the study of "Modern Struggles" and "Power, Protest, and Progress," students develop the courage to engage with challenging debates and the ambition to master complex disciplinary concepts such as causation, significance, and change over time.
The study of History at Angmering enriches students’ wider education by developing their ability to think critically, build robust arguments, and approach the future with an informed perspective. By explicitly teaching historical vocabulary and concepts like 'empire' and 'continuity,' we equip students with the cultural capital needed to access sophisticated disciplinary thinking. Students gain transferable skills in source evaluation, chronological understanding, and interpreting evidence, which open diverse pathways for future opportunities and ensure they can meaningfully participate in democratic society.
Our curriculum is designed to be ambitious and inclusive, providing full coverage of the National Curriculum through a carefully sequenced "Learning Journey" from Year 7 to Year 13. To ensure all learners, including those with SEND and disadvantaged students, can thrive, we employ Quality First Teaching strategies such as modelling high-quality historical writing and using "thinking aloud" techniques to demonstrate how to reach justified judgements. Lessons are built around structured enquiry questions that guide students from initial knowledge acquisition to high-level analysis. By providing responsive feedback and purposeful scaffolding—such as the gradual release of responsibility during source analysis—we remove barriers to learning, ensuring every student has the support to become a confident and thoughtful historian.
Students say…
"I really enjoy the subject as I always learn something new and interesting."
"Studying History allows me to have a better understanding of the world around me."
What are the key features of the programmes of study? The curriculum is designed to help students understand the modern world through the debate and analysis of human history. Key features include the explicit teaching of historical vocabulary and second-order concepts such as causation, continuity, and significance. Lessons are built around carefully sequenced enquiry questions that guide students from gaining basic knowledge to performing high-level analysis and making justified judgements. Students also develop specific disciplinary skills, including source evaluation, chronological understanding, and interpreting evidence.
What will my child study in year 7?
In Year 7, the theme is “Crowns, Cultures, and Conquests,” which includes the study of Medieval Realms, the Tudors and Stuarts, and Great African Civilisations.
What will my child study in year 8?
The Year 8 curriculum focuses on “Power, Protest, and Progress,” covering the British Slave Trade, Civil Rights in the USA, the Industrial Revolution, and both World War I and World War II.
What will my child study in year 9?
Year 9 students explore “Modern Struggles,” including Nazi Germany, the Holocaust, Northern Ireland and the ‘Troubles’, Women through time, and the rise of Weimar Germany.
How are the groups organised?
History groups are organised in mixed ability teaching groups.
What equipment is needed?
Students are required to bring a pen, pencil, ruler, and a purple pen.
What assessment is used?
Formative assessment is used continually through targeted questioning, hinge questions, mini whiteboards, and oracy to address misconceptions in real time. Additionally, students complete one assessment per half term that tests both skills and knowledge. Summative assessment takes place at the end of the school year via a test covering all topics taught from September to June.
How do you give feedback to students?
Feedback is provided on half-termly written tests and focuses on historical thinking and the use of evidence. This includes a green feedback sheet identifying specific areas of strength and areas for improvement. Students are also notified whether their progress is currently above, at, or below expectations.
For the Key Stage 4 (KS4) History programme at The Angmering School, the details are as follows:
What course(s) is/are offered?
We offer the GCSE Edexcel History course.
Link to specification:
Pearson Edexcel GCSE History (2016) Specification
What will my child study in year 10?
In Year 10, students study two major units: Weimar and Nazi Germany 1918–1939 and Crime and Punishment through time c1000–present.
What will my child study in year 11?
The Year 11 curriculum focuses on Superpower Relations and the Cold War 1941–1991 and Early Elizabethan England 1558–1588.
How is the course assessed?
The course is assessed through three external exam papers, all of which are taken at the end of Year 11:
- Paper 1: Thematic Study and Historic Environment (30% of the GCSE): This paper assesses Crime and Punishment through time, including a specific study of a historic environment (Whitechapel)
- Paper 2: Period Study and British Depth Study (40% of the GCSE): This paper covers Superpower Relations and the Cold War and Early Elizabethan England. It tests students' ability to explain and analyse historical events and periods
- Paper 3: Modern Depth Study (30% of the GCSE): This paper assesses Weimar and Nazi Germany, focusing on the use of sources and different historical interpretations.
What course(s) is/are offered?
We offer the Edexcel A-Level History course.
Pearson Edexcel A-Level History (2015) Specification
How is the course assessed?
The A-Level is assessed through three external examinations and one piece of coursework, all completed or examined at the end of Year 13.
- Paper 1: Breadth study with interpretations (30% of the A-Level): Students study "In search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917–96".
- Paper 2: Depth study (20% of the A-Level): Students study "South Africa, 1948–94: from apartheid state to 'rainbow nation'".
- Paper 3: Themes in breadth with aspects in depth (30% of the A-Level): Students study "Poverty, public health and the state in Britain, c1780–1939".
- Coursework: Non-examination assessment (20% of the A-Level): Students complete an independent research assignment focused on "responsibility for the Holocaust".
What will the course allow me to progress to in the future?
A-Level History provides a suite of high-level transferable skills that are highly valued by universities and employers. By the end of the course, students will have mastered the ability to think critically, build robust arguments, and interpret complex evidence to reach justified judgements.
- Academic Progression: The depth of research required for the Holocaust coursework and the analysis of complex themes like public health prepare students for the rigours of degree-level study in subjects such as History, Law, Politics, Philosophy, and International Relations.
- Career Opportunities: The ability to evaluate sources and communicate sophisticated ideas opens doors to careers in Journalism, Law, Management, the Civil Service, and Heritage/Museum work. History students are valued for their "cultural capital" and their informed perspective on the modern world.
The History department at The Angmering School is led by four dedicated professionals whose passion for the subject is matched by their considerable experience in successfully delivering both the Edexcel GCSE and A-level routes. This collective expertise ensures that our students receive a high-quality historical education designed to help them understand the complexities of the modern world. Our teaching approach is rooted in Quality First Teaching strategies, where we explicitly teach historical vocabulary and concepts, modelling how historians use this language in context. We further support student progress by "thinking aloud" to demonstrate how to construct causal paragraphs, evaluate significance, and reach justified judgements using worked examples and visualisers.
To ensure that students effectively retain and apply their knowledge, we have implemented a spiral curriculum that begins in Key Stage 3 and builds upward to the demands of Key Stage 4 and 5 examinations. This curriculum structure allows us to constantly revisit and reinforce essential second-order concepts: Cause, Consequence, Change and continuity, Similarity and difference, and Significance. Retention is further supported by regular retrieval practice set at the start of every lesson and for homework, ensuring that foundational knowledge is secure before moving on to more complex analysis. Lessons are built around carefully sequenced enquiry questions that transition students from simple knowledge acquisition to high-level historical judgement.
Literacy is our bread and butter; we believe that mastering historical language is essential for all students to access disciplinary thinking. We discover new vocabulary together and focus on building students' confidence to read both independently and aloud. Sources are selected purposefully to develop specific skills—such as inference and interpretation—with teachers providing structured guidance before gradually releasing responsibility to the students. This focus on literacy and evidence-based argument allows students to think critically and approach the future with an informed perspective. Through responsive questioning and feedback that focuses on historical thinking and the use of evidence, we address misconceptions in real time and ensure that every student can thrive as a historian.
At Key Stage 3, homework is set half-termly, providing students with the opportunity to engage deeply with the term's enquiry questions and consolidate their understanding of core concepts. As students progress into Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, the frequency increases to weekly assignments, reflecting the greater demands of the GCSE and A-Level curricula.
The nature of these tasks is specifically designed to reinforce the knowledge and skills taught in the classroom. At Key Stage 4, homework is heavily focused on retrieval practice to ensure that foundational facts and concepts are securely embedded in students' long-term memory. To facilitate this, we utilise the Educake platform, which allows for effective digital quizzing and immediate feedback. This regular retrieval ensures that students have the necessary knowledge base to tackle the more complex disciplinary tasks of analysis and evaluation.
For our Key Stage 5 students, the homework tasks are more diverse and sophisticated, designed to mirror the rigours of higher education and prepare them for their external examinations and independent coursework. Assignments include reading and comprehension, detailed note-taking, and engaging with history podcasts. Students also collaborate through presentation making and group work, which fosters the courage to share ideas and the ambition to master complex historical debates. By varying the types of tasks, we ensure that students are not only retaining information but also developing the high-level critical thinking and source-evaluation skills essential for success at A-Level.
Enrichment at The Angmering School is designed to bring History to life, moving beyond the classroom to provide students with a tangible connection to the past. By providing opportunities to engage with historical sites and external experts, we aim to broaden cultural capital and ensure students can think critically and build strong arguments about the world they live in. Our enrichment programme is carefully mapped to our curriculum to ensure these experiences extend and deepen classroom learning. For instance, the Arundel Castle trip at the end of Year 7 directly enhances students' understanding of the "Crowns, Cultures, and Conquests" unit, specifically the study of Medieval Realms. Similarly, the Year 9 trip to the London Dungeons provides a vivid exploration that complements their study of "Modern Struggles," helping students make sense of historical change and interpretation through a real-world lens.
For our older students, the department works with the Holocaust Educational Trust to provide a highly impactful trip to Auschwitz for Year 12. Students can apply for limited places and are chosen via ballot. This experience supports their academic and personal development, providing the intellectual and emotional depth required for their Year 13 coursework, which focuses on "responsibility for the Holocaust". These visits allow students to see the human impact of the events they have studied—such as Nazi Germany—fostering a deep respect for the diversity of human experience and the courage to engage with the most challenging aspects of our history. By moving beyond "disconnected fact recall," these extra-curricular opportunities raise aspirations, showing students that History is a dynamic subject that shapes their world and empowers them to approach the future with an informed and thoughtful perspective.
