“ A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots ".
Marcus Garvey
Department Vision Statement/ Curriculum Intent
At the Malling School we believe that students deserve a broad, diverse and ambitious History curriculum which emphasises both skills and knowledge. The aim of our History curriculum is to have students leave school with an enquiring mindset, the ability to critically analyse the world around them and to have a strong understanding of how the present is rooted in the past.
Our curriculum is framed from a largely chronological perspective which allows students to develop an understanding of the wider context of events, people, and societies. Within this, case studies give students the opportunity to develop a rich and deep subject knowledge. These are chosen to challenge pupils and to offer them the chance to explore different perspectives at local, national and international level from the Middle Ages through to the Modern Era. This allows pupils to make links not only to different time periods but also to different regions. Thematic units allow students to examine skills and concepts such as change and continuity, similarities and differences and cause and consequence whilst examining and weighing the significance of driving factors behind them. These key concepts help focus students and lead them to build a critical and analytical mindset where they can evidence their reasoning and make substantiated judgements in writing and orally.
The History curriculum is also tied to the Malling School’s core values of ‘caring, determination and reflection’. Through the different topics, pupils will need to empathise, make moral and ethical judgements on themes such as power, identity and belonging. They will be inspired to push themselves to develop their skills and understanding and will be expected to use built in feedback time to master this.
YEAR GROUPS
Year 7 - KS3
| TOPIC |
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How does Pompeii help us to understand Roman life?
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| WHY? |
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This is an evidence based enquiry that will help establish and build upon source analysis skills.
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| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
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| TOPIC |
| How can views of the Early Middle Ages as a ‘Dark Age’ be challenged? |
| WHY? |
| This an early enquiry into interpretations that allows pupils to examine misconceptions that have been held about the past and can be challenged using evidence. |
| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
| Why did William win the Battle of Hastings? |
| WHY? |
| A causation enquiry where pupils will have to make a judgement on the extent to which different causes led to the outcome of the Battle. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| What were the consequences of the Norman invasion? |
| WHY? |
| This enquiry will examine consequences such as the feudal system and the Domesday Book |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| What does the murder of Becket tell us about the power of the Church? |
| WHY? |
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This enquiry focuses on the significance of the Church during the Middle Ages and pupils will need to examine the relationship between the Church and monarch.
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| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
|
Who held power in medieval towns?
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| WHY? |
| This investigation focuses on the structure of life in the Middle Ages and who ordinary people were beholden to. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| Why have opinions of King John changed? |
| WHY? |
|
This enquiry focuses on historical perspectives and why different views of key historical figures can change over time and the factors which can influence this.
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| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| What were the consequences of the Black Death? |
| WHY? |
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An enquiry which focuses on short term and long term consequences of the Black Death, allowing pupils to see how one event can continue to have a lasting impact.
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| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet
|
| TOPIC |
| How did England change under the Tudors? |
| WHY? |
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This enquiry will examine different elements of Tudor life, focusing on ordinary people.
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| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet
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Year 8 - KS3
| TOPIC |
|
What led to change during the Renaissance?
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| WHY? |
| This enquiry helps to bridge the gap between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance allow pupils to recall content from Year 7 as well as introducing new elements of change. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
|
Why did the English fight the English?
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| WHY? |
| This is a causation enquiry that examines the reasons for the execution of Charles I and the creation of the brief Commonwealth of England. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| To what extended did the Industrial Revolution bring progress and improvement? |
| WHY? |
| Students will develop their understanding of what the Industrial Revolution was and how it changed the landscape of Britain. It will focus on the social History of Britain and the experiences of ordinary people. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| Why was there so much crime in Victorian Britain? |
| WHY? |
| Using knowledge from their last enquiry and additional |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
|
How reliable are sources on the Mali Empire c.1000-c.1600?
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| WHY? |
| This enquiry will allow pupils to explore a variety of sources and their provenance, judging their accuracy and reliability. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
|
What can the history of sugar teach us about colonisation and empire?
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| WHY? |
| The history of sugar is an exploration of the lasting impacts of colonialism through the lens of one food. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
| What are the similarities and differences between the UK and the US Civil Rights Movement? |
| WHY? |
| Pupils will explore different types of protest such as peaceful and militant as well as the circumstances in which the different movements originated. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| What were the main causes of conflict in Northern Ireland? |
| WHY? |
| Building on what pupils have already learnt about civil rights, pupils will compare this as a cause to others including religious beliefs. |
| RESOURCES |
| Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser |
| TOPIC |
| What impact has migration had on Britain? |
| WHY? |
| This is a thematic enquiry that will allow pupils to build on their knowledge from Year 7 and Year 8 such as the Normans to explore how migration has helped to shape our country. |
| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
Year 9 - KS3
| TOPIC |
| How did women gain the vote? |
| WHY? |
|
Students will study the experiences and inequalities women faced in the early twentieth century and their campaign for suffrage and equal rights.
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| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
|
What were the main causes of the First World War?
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| WHY? |
| Students will examine the causes of the First World War and judge the significance of each factor. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
|
How accurate is the interpretations ‘lions led by the donkeys’?
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| WHY? |
| Pupils will use evidence they have collected from sources to build challenges to interpretations. |
| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
|
How did new ideas cause conflict?
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| WHY? |
| This enquiry will help pupils to understand new ideologies that were increasing in popularity at the end of the nineteenth and start of the twentieth century and the consequences of this. |
| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
|
What was the most significant turning point in World War Two?
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| WHY? |
| Pupils will explore how different events and battles within the Second World War which helped lead to an allied victory and judge the significance of them. |
| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
|
What were the experiences of Jewish people during the Holocaust?
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| WHY? |
| Students will begin this topic by investigating the case study of Leon Greenman, a British Jew, whose wife and son were both murdered during the Holocaust. Students will examine further case studies where they will need to determine whether individual or groups were perpetrators, collaborators, or bystanders. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
| TOPIC |
| To what extent did the use of nuclear weapons change warfare in the 20th century? |
| WHY? |
| This enquiry allows pupils to examine the changes to the world following the creation of nuclear weapons and how this links to the Cold War. |
| RESOURCES |
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Curriculum Booklet and Knowledge Organiser
|
Year 10 - KS4 - Exam Board Edexcel
| TOPIC |
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Medicine Through Time
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| WHY? |
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Students will develop an understanding of the nature and process of change in this thematic unit. They will investigate patterns, trends and turning points and the factors that inhibited or encouraged this across different periods. The unit will focus on ideas about what caused disease, approaches to prevention and treatment as well as a case study from each time period.
Students will also do an in-depth look at the historical environment which is the British sector of the Western Front, 1914-18: injuries, treatments and preventions. They will investigate the theatre of war in Flanders and Northern France, the trench system, the nature of wounds from rifles and explosives, the effects of gas attacks, developments in brain and plastic surgery and new techniques in the treatment of wounds. This section will be focused on the use of sources for historical enquiries. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet
Recommended Revision Guide:
- Target Grade 9 Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Medicine in Britain c1250-present Workbook by Pearson
CGP GCSE History Edexcel Revision Guide |
| TOPIC |
|
Weimar and Nazi Germany
A modern depth study which gives pupils the opportunity to analyse different historical interpretations.
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| WHY? |
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The content will cover the origins of the Weimar Republic, the early challenges it faced as well as the legacy of the First World War. Students will then examine Hitler’s rise to power between 1919 and 1933 weighing up the significance of different factors from use of propaganda to the growth in unemployment in Weimar Germany. The focus will then focus on the creation of a dictatorship and the different methods of control from use of the media to the role of the Gestapo and the SS. Students will also have the opportunity to what life was like in Nazi Germany from policies towards women to the persecution of minorities.
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| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet
Recommended Revision Guide:
- Target Grade 9 Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Weimar and Nazi Germany Workbook by Pearson
CGP GCSE History Edexcel Revision Guide |
Year 11 - KS4 - Exam Board Edexcel
| TOPIC |
|
The American West (Temporarily removed 2020-2021 due to COVID course changes)
|
| WHY? |
| This is a period study which will allow students to examine an unfolding narrative about the settlement of the West. Students will examine the Plains Indians – their beliefs and their way of life, the impact of settlement on this group and the gradual destruction of their way of life. Students will also explore further conflict and tension through the range wars, Billy the Kid and the OK Corral. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet
Recommended Revision Guide:
- Target Grade 9 Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History The American West Workbook by Pearson
CGP GCSE History Edexcel Revision Guide |
| TOPIC |
|
Early Elizabethan England
This is a British Depth Study which allows pupils to examine a substantial period of early modern British History.
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| WHY? |
| Students will explore the issue of religion in Elizabeth’s reign and the challenges Elizabeth I faced when she ascended to the throne. The claim of Mary Queen of Scots to the throne and the multiple plots to overthrow Elizabeth. Students will also investigate Elizabethan society during the Age of Exploration from topics such as education and leisure to the increase in poverty and vagabondage during Elizabeth’s reign. |
| RESOURCES |
|
Curriculum Booklet
Recommended Revision Guide:
- Target Grade 9 Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History Early Elizabethan England Workbook by Pearson
CGP GCSE History Edexcel Revision Guide |
