History
Our History department equips our students with the skills to be critical thinkers and use evidence to understand both events in the past, and history as a discipline.
Curriculum Intent
At Poole High School, our History curriculum inspires students to explore the past in order to better understand the present and make sense of the future. Through the study of a wide range of historical periods, individuals and events, students develop an appreciation of how societies have changed over time and how the decisions of the past continue to shape the world we live in today.
History encourages students to think critically, question assumptions and evaluate evidence carefully. By examining different interpretations of the past, students learn that history is not simply a collection of facts, but a subject built upon enquiry, debate and analysis. They develop the confidence to form their own well-supported judgements while considering a range of perspectives and viewpoints.
Our curriculum enables students to deepen their knowledge of significant events, movements and individuals that have influenced Britain and the wider world. From revolutions and conflicts to political change and social developments, students explore the causes, consequences and significance of historical events, developing an understanding of both continuity and change across time.
Students will develop a range of valuable academic and transferable skills, including source analysis, interpretation, research, communication and extended writing. They learn to evaluate historical evidence critically, construct reasoned arguments and use evidence effectively to support their conclusions. Independent research forms an important part of the course, helping students prepare for the demands of further and higher education.
Key Stage 3
At Key Stage 3, we take a broadly thematic approach which is rooted in 3 different time periods. This, we believe, allows students both to make connections between aspects of life at different periods and also embeds a strong sense of chronology. Our 6 themes are power, religion, society, war, economy, and culture.
In Year 7, pupils learn about these 6 themes across the time period of 1066 up to the end of the Tudors in 1603. In Year 8, the same 6 themes are explored but this time with a focus on 1603-1900. In Year 9, the themes are revisited with a focus on the 20th and early part of the 21st centuries. Although the course is mostly focused on the story of the UK, there is a significant amount of history of other parts of the world that is covered too.
The assessments focus on developing historical skills of chronological understanding, change and continuity, and historical interpretations through the use of historical sources, extended essay writing or simple factual recall.
Key Stage 4
Studying GCSE History will help you understand the present and provide you with a basis for your role as a responsible citizen by allowing you to develop skills to be an independent learner and a critical thinker.
GCSE History will give you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of how the past has been represented or interpreted and the different reasons it may be significant. Understanding the connections between past and present is of absolute importance for a good understanding of the condition of being human. That is why history matters. It is not just ‘useful’, it is essential.
Topics Include
America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and Inequality that explores the economic boom of the 1920s, the Great Depression, the New Deal and the transformation of post-war America.
Conflict and Tension in Asia, 1950–1975: Examining the causes, events and consequences of the Korean and Vietnam Wars within the context of the Cold War.
Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to the Present Day: Tracing the development of medicine, public health and medical understanding across a thousand years of British history.
Elizabethan England, c1568–1603: Investigate life in Elizabethan society, political challenges, foreign threats and England's growing influence during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Key Stage 5
