Introduction

The History department offers an exciting, diverse and rigorous curriculum from Year 7 through to Year 13. Students learn a mix of British and world History from the Roman Empire right through to the present day with a balance of breadth and depth studies. It is a highly popular subject at the school and is taught by specialist teachers who are passionate about what they teach.

Our aims are simple: we want to engender a sense of empathy for differences in our community; inspire students with tales of bravery and determination; and arm students with the skills to critique a variety of sources of information. Most of all, we want to encourage them to ask questions about our past.

History Curriculum Map

History at Key Stage 3

All students at Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) have two History lessons a week. They follow the National Curriculum with a primary focus on the history of the British Isles and its links to the wider world from 1066 to the present day. Although the curriculum is regularly updated, all students will learn about the First and Second World Wars; they will cover a thematic unit on Immigration and the Nation; and they will study the Holocaust. Throughout Key Stage 3, students will develop essay writing skills as well as those related to source analysis. They will be formally assessed three times a year and these assessments will be based on GCSE questions.

History at Key Stage 4

History is a very popular option subject and is taught three times a week. Students follow the Edexcel GCSE History syllabus which covers Medicine in Britain (including injuries, treatment and the trenches during WWI); Early Elizabethan England; the Cold War; and Weimar and Nazi Germany from 1918-39.

Edexcel GCSE History Specification

History at Key Stage 5

History is a popular choice of A Level at Forest Hill School and many students go on to study History or History-related subjects at University. Students have five History lessons a week typically split across two teachers to deliver different units of the exam. They follow the Edexcel A Level History syllabus and study the following options:

• Paper 1, Option 1F: In search of the American Dream: the USA, c1917–96
• Paper 2, Option 2F.1: India, c1914–48: the road to independence
• Paper 3, Option 34.2: Poverty, public health and the State in Britain, c1780–1939
• Coursework (related to The Holocaust) (20%)

Edexcel A Level History Specification

Politics at KS5

Many students choose to study A-Level Politics at Forest Hill which is a great course for understanding the political systems of the UK, US and political philosophy. SFH6 students are taught the Edexcel A-Level Politics course which focuses on the Units below. We compare UK Politics to the US Political system in Unit 3 as this course is extremely relevant and interesting for the students. We also choose to teach the students Feminism as we think this is a fascinating and extremely important topic. The course is taught through a variety of pre-learning outside the classroom, analysis in the classroom and classroom debate which the students really enjoy and learn a lot from. The course links very well with some of the themes in the English Literature course along with the content in Economics at A-Level and US History at A-Level.

Unit 1: UK Politics and Core Ideologies (Conservatism, Liberalism and Socialism)

Unit 2: UK Government and Non-Core Ideologies (Feminism)

Unit 3: USA Politics and Government and Comparative Politics with the UK

Politics Curriculum Map

Enrichment

Forest Hill School is keen to engage students with History outside of the classroom and takes advantage of our proximity to London’s museums and historical sites. We also have a partnership programme with The Horniman Museum located in Forest Hill.

In Year 10, students have the opportunity to visit Berlin to support their studies of both Weimar and Nazi Germany as well as Superpower Relations and the Cold War.

A Level students have also previously enjoyed trips to Crossness Pumping Station to support their study of Poverty, Public Health and the State, as well as a lecture series hosted by Oxford academics to support their understanding of the Holocaust.