Welcome to History
“A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.” Robert Heinlein
The history department, here at Ferndown, aims to inspire our students with an exciting History curriculum which helps them to develop a better understanding of the world in which they live. Our intention is to explain the world and to understand the main events that have formed the way we live today. Through our topics, students come to understand key terms such as, democracy; dictatorship; capitalism; and communism. They develop skills such as analysis; communication; problem-solving and arguing from different perspectives. History is a gateway into a range of careers, such as law, politics, teaching, marketing, archaeology and many more.
Meet the History Department Staff
Mrs. S. Chater
Head of Department
Mr. C. Martin
History is one of the key ingredient to human society. It informs our present, guides our future and records our past and without it, we would be lost. But history at FUS is also a dynamic, current, fun and engaging course. The teaching style is very much to make the lessons fun, from turning the classroom into a 1920s Chicago speakeasy to a courtroom to put Presidents who got away with it on trial and exonerate the wrongly convicted from famous cases.
There is also a rigorous approach towards the demands of the exam and students record good achievement in history at FUS. In Year 9 student study a range of diverse 20th century topics, including the First World War, great dictators like Stalin and with many references to the modern world and to other aspects of history happening away from the glare of traditional schools history, including women’s history, black history and social and economic histories of ordinary people. At GCSE, students study American and British history units alongside the Vietnam and Korean wars.
It is taught by a department of experienced and engaging teachers and students from Year 9 to Year 11 invariably say they enjoy their lessons. We look forward to seeing you in our classrooms, on the battlefields and in the papers, investigating the famous, the infamous and lots in-between.
Curriculum
Specifications
GCSE – AQA- 2 exams at the end of year 11. Both exams = 2 hours
Extra-Curricular
When possible, the department takes GCSE students on an Elizabethan site. The location of this is set by the exam board and changes each year.
Revision
At GSCE students are issued with ‘Student Information Booklets’ which contain revision checklists, key words, knowledge organisers and past exam questions. Recommended revision guides are published by OXFORD (America 1920-1973, Elizabethan England c1568-1603, Conflict and Tension in Asia 1950-1975, Health & People c1000-present).
History Long Term Plan
| Autumn 1 | Autumn 2 | Spring 1 | Spring 2 | Summer 1 | Summer 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 9 | Causes of World War One | Trench Warfare/ WWI Home Front | Leadership concepts- Democracy, Dictatorship, Capitalism, Communism | Leadership- Hitler | Leadership- Stalin | GCSE America 1920s |
| Year 10 | America 1930s | America Post-War | Conflict in Asia- Korea | Conflict in Asia- Vietnam | Elizabethan England | Elizabethan England |
| Year 11 | Health & People | Health & People | Elizabethan Site | Revision | Revision |
Careers In History
As a history student, you will have gained skills highly valued by employers, such as analytical and critical reasoning, oral and written communication and research skills – studying history is a good launchpad for a wide range of careers, including law, the public sector, business management, finance and journalism to name a few. However, if you are passionate about history you may wish to explore careers opportunities in an area more directly related to History such as Conservation Officer, Museum Curator, Archaeologist or Archives Manager.
Labour Market Information – LMI
It is really useful to look at the labour market when considering a career related to history. Many sectors related to history are areas of growth in terms of employment opportunities. For example within the legal profession, the workforce is projected to grow by 5.7% over the period to 2027, creating 3,700 jobs. In the same period, 56.1% of the workforce is projected to retire, creating 36,000 job openings.
The LMI for All portal provides high quality, reliable LMI information – see link below: https://www.lmiforall.org.uk/
Pathways Example Post 16 Routes – Level 3 A Level
- A-Level History, Government and Politics, Law, Classical Studies
Pathways Example Post 16 – Apprenticeship Ideas
CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATORS
- preserve cultural heritage objects or collections housed in archives, art galleries, libraries, museums, private collections, as well as historic and ancient sites.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIALISTS
- lead Archaeological Research and Investigation, which may comprise surveys, excavation, post-excavation analysis and scientific analysis.
LICENSED CONVEYANCERS
- are specialist property lawyers who deal with all legal matters relating to the transfer of ownership of land or property from a seller to a buyer.
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES TECHNICIANS
- create exhibitions and displays, which may include mounts, showcases and labels for objects. These objects may be extremely valuable and often priceless.
LIBRARY, INFORMATION AND ARCHIVE SERVICES ASSISTANTS
- preserve the heritage of information records as well as arranging and cataloguing archives for discovery by users and collections management.