History at Key Stage 5
Our A-level curriculum is our longest standing curriculum and an area where we have helped students achieve excellent results for several years. Our A-level team are experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about the history they teach.
On the A-level, students study the Tudor Dynasty, analysing the reigns of each Tudor Monarch in turn. Students consider how Henry VII, unknown and with very little support was able to take control of the nation. Henry VII’s son, Henry VIII took power and through his changes to church and government, plunged England into a transformative and violent period, one which his children, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I spent much of their reigns reckoning with.
Students also study Germany in depth, beginning at the end of World War One, when Germany soldiers returned from the fighting in defeat. Attempts to bring democracy and reform to Germany were unsuccessful in the face of economic decline, social upheaval, and the rise of fascism. Ultimately, the Nazi party was able to take power in in 1933, plunging the nation into a dictatorship that would define the 20th century through genocide and conflict.
A-level students also get the chance to compose their own extended essay, a challenging but rewarding essay on the Russian Revolution which helps bridge the gap between School and University history. Students will write the essay with support from teachers and peers, using sources and commenting on the views of notable historians from the field.
