History is one of the most popular courses at Peter Symonds. Our students have a choice of three History routes, each of which will result in an A Level History qualification. They will be taught and examined in the same way and you should make your choice on the basis of which period you think will interest you the most. We offer the following routes, which cover the topics listed, and each has an additional coursework element.
Route A: Crusades, Monarchy and Rebellion
This route considers the causes and outcomes of the first four Crusades before examining the reign of Henry II, who made many successful reforms before disastrously falling out with Thomas Becket. In the second year you'll study the Wars of the Roses - the struggle for control of England from Henry V to the establishment of the Tudors.
Route B: Revolutions and Republics
This route focusses on three periods of unrest and upheaval and the attempt to ensure stability within them. The first unit is Stuart Britain, a story of civil war, restoration and revolution. Students also study the French Revolution in their first year, which has become the model for all revolutions. In the second year you’ll study Germany from unification in 1871 to reunification in 1990.
Route C: Communism, Monarchy and Rebellion
The first topic of this route is the story of communism in the Soviet Union from the Russian revolution up to the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The second topic looks at China from the communist victory in the civil war in 1949 up to the death of Mao in 1976. In the second year you’ll study your British topic, Wars of the Roses – the struggle for control of England from Henry V to the establishment of the Tudors.
Coursework
At the start of the second year students on all three Routes will complete a piece of coursework worth 20% of their A level. This will involve an investigation into why historians have disagreed about a particular issue. Most students study the abolition of the slave trade or the Cold War but it may also be possible to study Tudor Rebellions by looking at the Pilgrimage of Grace.
Lessons will include a variety of activities including discussions, source analysis and cut and stick exercises. However, studying A level History does require a large amount of reading and writing and these will form a key component of many lessons.
History is useful for any career which involves researching and analysing information and expressing arguments based upon evidence. Good examples of this are careers in the Civil Service, banking and accountancy, politics, social and business administration, teaching, journalism and law management.
Students are required to purchase textbooks for each unit. You will also be given the opportunity to participate in educational visits and trips. As well as more local day trips, we have run overseas trips to Paris, Berlin and Istanbul over the past couple of years, and hope to continue running at least one of these each year. The College has a Student Support Fund for anyone who has difficulty meeting these costs.
5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including Mathematics and English.
It is not a requirement to have studied History at GCSE provided you have an interest in the subject.