History at Hull Collegiate School is about building factual knowledge and chronological understanding but, above all, about developing a fascination with the past. Pupils will study the ‘island story’ of the United Kingdom and place the past of our own country in the context of the history of the world.
Year 7 opens with the Norman Conquest and its impact on Medieval England. Pupils examine how monarchs exercised political power and find out about the social, economic and religious perspectives of ordinary people. The Tudors and Stuarts provide opportunities for extended research and writing as well as the development of higher analytical skills. Study of religious change in England illustrates the challenges the King and Church faced and the political and social consequences of their decisions. Key figures pupils will encounter include Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.
Year 8 begins with a study of the English Civil War which introduces pupils to the struggle for power between the monarch and parliament. A visit to the Royal Armouries in Leeds, brings the study to life as pupils are able to handle muskets and pikes during a workshop entitled 'To kill a king!' Analysis of evidence then forms the basis of a study of industrial and social change in the nineteenth century. Pupils will investigate topics as diverse as cotton mills, the slave trade, workhouses and the Suffragettes. A study of the French Revolution completes Year 8 and offers comparisons with England through exposure to a violent turning point which shaped the future of European History.
Pupils study the defining moments of the twentieth century. The two world wars, the Holocaust and the struggle for civil rights in the USA, are all studied to give pupils a true understanding of this ‘age of extremes’. An optional visit to the battlefields of the First World War in Belgium and France consolidates pupils’ understanding. By now pupils should have a clear understanding of the political, economic, social and cultural factors which drive history. They will be able to conduct independent research, produce extended, argumentative and analytical writing and be equipped with the necessary skills to study History at GCSE.
Key Stage 3 History is designed to create a lasting enjoyment of the subject. Resources from Year 7 upwards include textbooks, written and visual source material, film and the internet. Work is presented orally, in writing and using ICT. Assessment throughout Key Stage 3 tests knowledge, understanding and skills and is conducted through homework, class assignments and examinations.
Key Stage 4
What will I study?
Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History.
How will I be assessed?
Paper 1: British Thematic Study with an Historic Environment. 1 hour and 15 minute examination.
Paper 2: Period and British Depth Study. 1 hour and 45 minute examination.
Paper 3: Modern Depth Study. 1 hour and 20 minute examination.
What will I study?
Paper 1: Crime and Punishment in Britain c.1000 to the present day. How has the definition of criminal activity changed across the centuries, and how has law enforcement and punishment adapted to meet that change? From Forest Law and Hue and Cry, to Corporal and Capital punishment, we will investigate characters such as Guy Fawkes, Matthew Hopkins, Elizabeth Fry and Robert Peel. Pupils will also base 10% of their final grade on a study of Whitechapel c.1870-1900.
Paper 2: Superpower Relations and the Cold War 1941-91. Pupils will consider questions such as: Why did a Cold War develop between the USA and USSR? Why was a nuclear war a real possibility? Why was the Berlin Wall built? Why did the Soviet Union lose its grip on Eastern Europe?
Early Elizabethan England 1558-88. Pupils will study religion, relations with Spain including the Spanish Armada, exploration and murderous plots under the Virgin Queen.
Paper 3: Russia and the Soviet Union, 1917-41. Pupils will explore why Russia went through two revolutions and a Civil War before bowing to Communist rule. Pupils then move on to consider the rise to power of Stalin, his use of terror and propaganda, and the effects of economic policies on his people.
What qualities do I need and how will I study?
You will need to have an inquisitive mind and be interested in why things have happened. You will enjoy developing your own arguments, and doing research from books, films, photographs and the internet. You will also be comfortable with analysing sources and producing written work. You can expect to work independently, in small groups and as a whole class.