History

Curriculum Intent

The Humanities Faculty comprises four core subjects: History, Geography, Citizenship and Religious Studies, alongside Vocational Travel and Tourism at Key Stage 4. Together, these subjects aim to cultivate informed, reflective global citizens with a strong understanding of the interconnectedness of past, present, and future events, and the world around them.

Our Humanities curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity and engage students with the complexity of the world. By studying the diverse topics within, History, Geography, Religious Education, and Citizenship, pupils gain an appreciation of the different cultures, values, and perspectives that shape our societies. The curriculum encourages students to explore their own identities, understand the challenges of their time, and critically assess the changes that have influenced human behaviour and societal development.

As pupils progress through the curriculum, they will deepen their understanding of the complex interactions between physical and human processes on Earth, exploring how these processes have shaped, and have been shaped by historical events and developments over time. Our curriculum is rich with opportunities to promote Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural (SMSC) development, fostering empathy, tolerance, and respect for diversity, while encouraging environmental stewardship.

The aims of the Humanities curriculum are to enable students to:

• Think critically: Develop the skills to think, write, communicate, and read as experts in the fields of History, Geography, Citizenship , and Religious Studies.
• Broaden their understanding: Engage with a broad range of geographical, historical, and religious topics that expand students' knowledge of human behaviour, societal influences, and global issues.
• Develop a sense of identity and citizenship: Reflect on their roles as citizens of the UK and the wider world, embracing core British values and nurturing a sense of belonging and responsibility.
• Make informed connections: Grasp the key concepts of each discipline and apply them to draw connections, analyse trends, and pose relevant questions.
• Grow cultural capital: Participate in experiences both within and beyond the classroom that enhance their cultural awareness and understanding of the world.
• Prepare for future success: Equip students with transferable skills, independent study habits, and the resilience necessary for adult life, further education, and employment.

Our curriculum offers a holistic approach, preparing students not only for academic success but also for lifelong learning, active citizenship, and responsible global engagement.

History:

• Broaden and deepen historical understanding: Study a diverse range of local, national, and international historical topics, including political, social, and economic dimensions, to enhance students’ understanding of the world and the factors influencing human behaviour.
• Develop historical enquiry skills: Engage in historical enquiries that focus on key historical skills, such as understanding chronology, selecting meaningful evidence, and recognizing how history is constructed. Pupils will learn to independently produce contrasting arguments and interpretations.
• Gain historical perspectives: Understand the changing history of the world to learn about the past and its impact on the present and future, gaining perspectives on how historical events have shaped human behaviour and societal development.

What your child will learn in KS3 History

Click on the topics for more information.

What your child will learn in KS4 History

Exam Specification

 History SMSC Statement 

SMSC and British Values play an integral part of the History Curriculum at The Hathershaw College. The curriculum has a strong focus with SMSC and challenges the students to engage with these concepts from Year 7 through to Year 11. Within classrooms all students sit alongside their peers from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Students are regularly encouraged to work collaboratively with their classroom partners through activities such as; Think-Pair-Share and through peer and self-assessment. All students are encouraged to have mutual respect and tolerance for those around them which is essential to the classroom environment.

The engagement and fascination of learning is deep rooted within all aspects of the History curriculum. Throughout their study students are encouraged to develop their skills of imagination, creativity and reflection through tasks which explore empathy and inference. For example, students are often asked to consider the perspective of different groups within society, this could be of a soldier from Oldham in World War I, or an Indian native experiencing partition at the end of World War Two. The curriculum is planned to maximise student interest with subject specialists collaboratively and creating medium term plans in order to utilise areas of expertise. Key case studies are embedded into the curriculum to further engage and fascinate students. Some examples include the life of Mansa Musa, the History of Black Tudors and the actions of Saladin.

Students are also encouraged to develop reasoned arguments; many history lessons build on the students understanding overtime in order to answer a larger enquiry question. All arguments in History are based on precisely selected evidence, often from primary source information. This encourages the students to produce reasoned views when investigating moral and ethical issues in society, E.g. “Why do people make dangerous journeys?”. These debates spark an interest in the students and bring the study of History into today’s current affairs. It also encourages the students to have a mutual respect for those around them and to appreciate the viewpoints of others on moral and ethical issues. The idea of right and wrong and consequences are also a theme throughout. Some examples include the students discussing and coming to a consensus on the impact of the British Empire, the outcomes of German post war divisions and the Slave Trade.

Furthermore, students are able to engage with different people’s faiths, feelings and values at various points in their five-year journey. For example, in Year 7 students are able to explore the developing and changing role of the Church, the Reformation, the Crusades, as well as comparisons with the Islamic World at the time. This theme is further explored through the study of the Holocaust in Year 9 History. The enquiry into the Holocaust begins with students investigating the growing anti-Semitism of the 20th century and the key issues that led to the Holocaust with comparisons being made to other examples of 20th century genocide. In addition, the students engage with this during the study of the American West when studying GCSE content. During this unit students investigate the key beliefs and structure of the Plains Indians of America and are encouraged to investigate the reasons for conflict with the white settlers. This helps students to understand the causes of division and secularism within a society and the value of other people’s beliefs.

Throughout the curriculum there is a strong appreciation of the influences that have shaped the students’ own cultural heritage ranging from links to the two world wars, industrialisation, the Peterloo Massacre, and Indian after 1947. Furthermore, the development of British political and social history plays an integral part of the History curriculum. From the beginning of year 7 students start their journey into the development of British democracy overtime. Beginning with the Norman Conquest, students study influential changes to law such as the Magna Carta, the role of the Chartists, and the journey to the vote. Students are also encouraged to make parallels to the rule of the law today. An example of this can be seen when looking to the idea of proportional representation in Weimar Germany vs the notion of first past the post. There is also strong theme of minority voices within the History curriculum with a particular focus on the social development of women and migrant populations.