A Level History at The Corsham School AQA

Why study History at A Level? If you enjoy learning about past societies, making links and comparisons across time and furthering your learning independently. We study a range of periods from Tudor history to Nazi Germany. We utilise a variety of teaching approaches and the Department is well resourced to support your learning. We attend conferences in London, and visit the Holocaust exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. Furthermore, History is a highly respected subject, and demonstrates students ability to communicate effectively, argue, justify, reflect, criticise, analyse, evaluate…

UnitTopicAssessment Method % contribution AS A2 1Britain The consolidation of monarchy Henry VII & Henry VIII Written Exam 1 hr 15 minutes June Life in Nazi Germany The impact of Dictatorship Written Exam 1 hr 30 minutes June The Triumph of Elizabeth Britain The strengthening of the Tudor State Written Exam 1 hr 30 minutes June Historical Enquiry Russia Change & continuity from Tsars to Commissars Coursework 3500 words Assessed

Britain The consolidation of monarchy Henry VII & Henry VIII How effectively did the early Tudors establish and consolidate their monarchy? This unit provides an overview of developments between 1483 and 1529 with a focus on political stability from the establishment of secure government under Henry VII to the authority of Henry VIII.

Life in Nazi Germany The impact of Dictatorship This unit provides an opportunity to investigate the impact of a dictatorship upon a complex modern society.

The Triumph of Elizabeth Britain The strengthening of the Tudor State This unit promotes an understanding of change and continuity over a period of sixty years of British History, during which the power of the Tudor state was strengthened, both at home and abroad.

Historical Enquiry Russia Change & continuity from Tsars to Commissars This piece of coursework will examine change over time. Students will study Russia under the last Tsars, and then look at Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution, comparing the two periods.

Teaching & Learning We adopt a range of teaching and learning styles including group work and presentations, the use of audio-visual sources and ICT. The Department has a good range of textbooks, books and periodicals such as the Modern History Review and BBC History for further reading, and runs a study support club on a Tuesday. Students are given a reading list by staff. It is anticipated that students undertake a wide range of further reading in their own time to deepen their subject knowledge, and to further their interest of the process of history in general. We also attend conferences, run by external agencies, in Bristol and London, where we are presented with current historical thinking, by eminent historians of the periods we will be studying. These prove useful for revision purposes.

Assessment Students benefit from the modular structure of the course, which allows for two members of staff to teach separate units of study, and for students to sit examinations or complete coursework whilst work is relatively fresh in their minds. Whilst success is anticipated, should students need to retake a unit of AS study, there will be an opportunity to re-sit units 1 and 2 in January and June A coursework element provides an additional assessment method. Past students have also said that this component was excellent preparation for the challenges of undergraduate study. The structure of the AS and A2 course allows for a variety of periods to be studied in depth, including both a British and European dimension, enabling students to compare and contrast events and issues within and across periods and cross-culturally. Previously, Advanced level students would have studied a narrow range of History, which did not develop their understanding of the processes of History.

Success criteria Students are successful if they: 1.Attend regularly 2.Involve themselves in the process of learning, both inside and outside the classroom with independent learning 3.Ensure they undertake private study, including further reading and research to develop their knowledge of the issues and events studied, and other historians interpretations. 4.Utilise every opportunity for exam practice and advice on essay technique 5.Learn how to play the exam game! 6.Are well organised, can meet deadlines, and have good time management skills 7.Are well taught, and regular feedback is given on their progress with targets set for improvement

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