Key Stage 3
History at Key Stage 3 is divided into a series of engaging enquiries that are designed to engage all students, and help them to develop a sense of curiosity about the events and people that have shaped the world and community in which they live. The enquiry questions drive our day to day teaching practice and also form the basis of assessment tasks that are completed by the students. In order to ensure that our students reach their full potential, we also have a sustained focus of disciplinary literacy throughout our curriculum. Students are challenged to learn to read, write and speak like historians, with assessment and feedback largely focused on developing these skills. As much as we value our time in the classroom it is also our aim to provide students with authentic experiences that will enrich and add context to their learning. In Year 7 we visit Leicester city centre to observe how the city has evolved over time.
Key Stage 4
At Key Stage 4, the OCR SHP (B) History course is followed. The units studied are the People’s Health, the Norman Conquest, Life in Nazi Germany, the making of America and the History around Us local study on Kenilworth Castle. We believe that great outcomes are the product of engaging, and active learning. Therefore teaching styles at Key Stage 4 are no different from Key Stage Three. Equally, we want our students to be able to see their learning brought to life by experiences outside the classroom. A visit to Lincoln for our Year 9 students is planned for this academic year to run alongside their GCSE unit on The Norman Conquest. We also visit Kenilworth Castle as part of our Year 11 History Around Us unit or work.