History
History students at The Ashcombe School learn about the past though a series of enquiry questions that take them from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. Each lessos focuses on answering a wider question, such as ‘How revolutionary was the Industrial Revolution?”, which encourage students to think for themselves and to reach evidence-based decisions. Our enjoyable lessons engage students with the past, support them to be curious and give them a sense of place in the world.
Our Curriculum in Years 7, 8 and 9
In Years 7 and 8, students study medieval England culminating in the Civil War, the development of the British Empire, the rise and fall of the transatlantic slave trade and the Industrial Revolution.
In Year 9, students study the World Wars, the Roaring 20s in the USA, and the Holocaust.Our Upper School Curriculum
GCSE - Edexcel
GCSE History is an exciting and rewarding investigation into key periods of world history. Students navigate periods in depth; such as the Cold War topic as well as much longer studies such as Migration Through Time. Teachers and students really enjoy the variety of history topics. Whilst fostering a love for the events within each topic, teachers are also able to confidently support students with their exam skills.
A Level - Edexcel
A Level History challenges students to see the links and connections between our Control theme – Germany 1918-1989 and Italy 1911- 1941 - alongside our Challenge papers – Protest and Reform 1780-1928 and USA Civil Rights. Teachers and students relish the chance to unpick some key moments in modern history to build confident explanations of what happened. We believe that the skills, inspiration and knowledge acquired on our A Level course are excellent preparation for the world of work or higher education.
Going Beyond - Book recommendations for curriculum enhancement
Find out more here
Enrichment opportunities
Students are offered the chance to reflect and remember the connections between the past and the present through our visit to the Battlefields in Year 10. We visit many of the key sites of the First World War and are particularly keen to build students awareness of our local history connections to the war.
To enliven our A Level History course we offer the chance to visit both Washington and Berlin. Both cities are connected with key aspects of the A Level topics and students really appreciate the chance to develop a detailed understanding of the places from their lessons.