History

Course summary

The complex world we live in, from the relationship between nations to the cultural beliefs that shape modern society, is a product of the past. Studying History A level will provide students not just with a greater awareness of this complex story, but, perhaps more importantly, with the skills to truly understand how the world has evolved and what the future may hold on a local, national and global scale. Students study all aspects of the UK’s fascinating royal dynasty from the founding members of the House of Tudor at Bosworth to the turmoil of the Reformation under Henry VIII and Edward VI; the Counter-Reformation of “Bloody Mary” and the achievements and insecurities of Elizabeth I. A key requirement of the new specification is for students to assess how aspects of the past have been interpreted in varying ways. In this contrasting study, which is taught concurrently, students will learn about the reasons for the abdication of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, and the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917. Students then learn about the creation of a communist regime under Lenin and Stalin and the emergence of the USSR as a superpower after World War II. The emphasis of the depth of study is for students to critically assess sources when learning about these momentous world events.