At Saint Martins’, our history curriculum is designed to provide students with a deep and comprehensive understanding of the past. Through engaging and well-structured lessons, we aim to instill in our students a love of history and a thirst for knowledge that will follow them throughout their lives.
Our curriculum is grounded in a strong foundation of key knowledge and concepts that provide a platform for understanding the complex events and movements of the past. We believe that a rich understanding of history requires the acquisition of a broad range of knowledge and skills, including the ability to critically evaluate sources, analyse historical evidence, and identify patterns and connections between different historical events.
Our history curriculum is designed to be well-sequenced, with carefully chosen content that builds upon previous learning and enables students to build up their knowledge over time. We also believe that history should be taught with a strong emphasis on chronology, so that students can place events accurately in time and understand the historical context in which they occurred.
Furthermore, we recognise the importance of teaching history with a global and multicultural perspective, as this allows our students to appreciate the diversity of human experience across time and space. This means that we place a strong emphasis on studying the history of a range of cultures and societies from different parts of the world, and aim to highlight the interconnectedness of historical events and movements on a global scale.
Our history curriculum also places a strong emphasis on the development of key historical skills, such as the ability to interpret visual and written sources, analyse and evaluate historical arguments, and construct well-reasoned historical narratives. We believe that these skills are essential for students to become critical thinkers, and to be able to form evidence-based arguments and opinions on historical issues.
In summary, at our knowledge-rich school, our history curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the past, grounded in key knowledge and concepts, and taught with a global and multicultural perspective. We aim to equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to become critical thinkers and effective communicators, and to instill in them a lifelong appreciation for history.
Year 7
Topic 1: The Romans. You will investigate how the Roman Empire came to dominate Europe, how Christianity began to spread throughout the empire and what ultimately led to its collapse.
Topic 2: The Normans. You will investigate what life was like in Anglo-Saxon England, how the Normans took control of England and what impact that had on English society.
Topic 3: Medieval Monarchs. You will look at several different Kings and Queens and see what impact they had on English society.
Topic 4: Medieval Life. You will investigate what like was like during the Medieval period as well as looking at several key events such as the Black Death, Peasants Revolt and the Wars of the Roses.
Year 8
Topic 1: The Tudors. You will investigate how the Tudor Monarchs ruled, the impact of the Reformation on England and how they dealt with challenges to their throne.
Topic 2: The Stuarts. You will investigate how Charles and Parliament descended into civil war, how a king was placed on trial and replaced and how the restoration of the monarchy occurred.
Topic 3: Slavery and Empire. You will investigate how the slave trade came into existence and how it was then abolished. You will also look at the impact of Britain on countries within its empire and how that shapes Britain today.
Topic 4: The First World War. You will investigate the causes of the war and how the war was fought and ended. You will also look at different interpretations of the war from a variety of historical sources.
Year 9
Topic 1: Germany Rise of the Nazis 1925-1934. In this module you will study life in Weimar Germany, the impact of the great depression and how the Nazis then came to power.
Topic 2: Germany The Nazis in Power 1934-1939. In this module you will look at what the Nazis did once they were in power and how they were able to transform Germany into a totalitarian dictatorship.
Topic 3: Germany Destruction to Democracy 1940-1955. In this module you will investigate how Germany was defeated during the Second World War and how the country was transformed into a democracy.
Year 10
Topic 1: International Relations 1919-1945. In this module students will study how world leaders attempted to shape the post WW1 world. They will investigate the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Depression and the road to the Second World War. They will also study different historical interpretations on Appeasement.
Topic 2: International Relations 1945-1975. In this module students will student the origins of the Cold War and how that conflict between the USA and the USSR played out. They will also study different historical interpretations on the origins of the Cold War.
Topic 3: Power and Monarchy Medieval England c.1000-1485. In this module students will study how the relationship between the ruler and the ruled changed during the medieval period. They will study the Anglo-Saxons, the Normans and early Medieval Kings.
Topic 4: Kenilworth Castle. Students will do an in-depth study of Kenilworth castle and how it changed from c1000-1750.
Year 11
Topic 1: Early Modern England 1485-1750. In this module students will study how parliament emerged as a challenge to the power of the monarch. They will study the Tudors, the Stuarts, the English Civil War and Interregnum and the Restoration.
Topic 2: Modern England 1750-2015. In this module students will study how ordinary people challenged the power of parliament and demanded entry into the political nations. Students will study how various groups gained the franchise and how parliament was forced to respond to the concerns of ordinary people. They will study the Great Reform Acts, the Suffragettes and Suffragists and Modern British politics from 1945 onwards.
Topic 3: The English Reformation c1520-c1550. In this unit students will do an in-depth study of the English Reformation. They will study why the Break with Rome took place, and how Protestantism changed the landscape of the country.
GCSE: Students will be offered the chance to go on trips (staff availability permitting) to Germany and Poland. On both trips students will visit places related to their course to help expand their learning.
KS3: There are opportunities for students to visit museums and the theatre but this are usually combined with days out to London where students will visit a variety of different attractions.
