GCSE History

Brief summary of the syllabus:

All boys will be following Edexcel Modern World History. Please note that all boys take the same examination in history. The syllabus for the course is as follows:

A3: The Emergence of Modern China, 1911-76

• China under the warlords: origins of the CCP
• Changing relations between the CCP and the GMD: the Long March
• Communists, nationalists and the Japanese and war: the communist victory
• Aims and changing politics of Mao after 1949
• Economic, social and political changes: the changing role of women
• The Cultural Revolution and its effects

A7: A Divided Union? The USA. 1941-80

• The impact of the Second World War on US economy and society
• McCarthyism and the 'red scare': the Ku Klux Klan
• The Civil Rights movements and their impact on US society
• 'New frontiers', 'Great Society': the roles of Kennedy and Johnson
• Protest movements in the 60s and early 70s
• The Watergate scandal and its impact

B1: The Russian Revolution. c. 1910-24

• Russia before the First World War: politics, society and the economy
• Opposition to Tsarist rule: Liberals, Socialists and Socialist Revolutionaries
• Impact of the First World War on Russian government and society
• 1917: reasons for the fall of the Tsar and the collapse of the Provisional Government
• The nature of the Bolshevik takeover; the roles of Lenin and Trotsky
• Bolshevik rule and its impact, 1918 24: the Civil War

B3: Depression and the New Deal: The USA, 1929-41

• Causes and consequences of the Wall Street Crash
• Government reaction and attempts at recovery, 1929-33
• The impact of the depression of people's lives throughout US society
• The nature of the New Deal: policies to deal with agriculture, industry, unemployment and welfare; the role of Roosevelt in recovery
• Opposition to the New Deal
• The extent of recovery and success of the New Deal

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What skills and attributes are being developed and examined?

The short answer and essay paper will ask the following:

• Causation - why did an event take place
• Consequence - what happened as a result of an event
• Change - what changed over a period of time
• Key features - what happened during an event
• Definition - what does a specific term mean

The source paper will ask the following:

• Inference - what does this source tell you about…
• Comparison of sources - compare sources for similarities and differences
• Usefulness of sources - how useful is a source for an enquiry
• Use of sources and own knowledge to answer an interpretative question

Please note that it is difficult to look at the above factors in isolation. An A* paper will combine all these skills. For example, an A* essay for paper one will use a wide base of own knowledge, will be able to argue effectively and is unfailingly relevant. The standard of a pupil's written English will also be assessed in the examination.

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What can parents expect to see in class and homework?

Homework is set on a weekly/twice weekly basis where appropriate and may take a variety of forms, such as:

1. Notes from a variety of sources which build up a full factual knowledge of the areas studied. These will include maps, statistics and other diagrams to assist in the learning of information.
2. Exercises based on the study of historical evidence of a wider range.
3. Comprehension questions which summarise information learnt in the lesson.
4. Historical essays.
5. Coursework material. Either in essay form, or source work.

What parents can do to help?

1. Ensure history homework is well ordered and presented and sufficiently detailed.
2. Check his file and ensure it is well ordered, has file dividers, is properly sectioned and detailed.
3. Help your son to obtain extra materials for course work.
4. Encourage your son to find out about recent events by reading (broadsheet newspapers, History journals such as BBC History) and watching relevant television (the History Channel, Timewatch).

Coursework

You must not give your son direct help. Direct help will do him great damage as he will lose marks if there is suspicion that the work is not all his own. He can however tell you what he is trying to achieve, how he intends to do so and in what timescale. It is with the timing and the meeting of deadlines that you can most help him. The job of explaining the task to you will help the student identify areas of difficulty. These should then be raised with the teacher by him. Use the personal organiser to transmit messages to staff.

All relevant sources of information will be provided by the School. It would be helpful if parents could keep a watchful eye out for articles in newspapers, magazines and television programmes which may be relevant. However, please bear in mind that marks will not be gained for factual detail only, however worthy. Coursework is NOT project work. The worst thing that your son could do would be to print out reams of information from Encarta or other such work of reference. Analysis in terms of the question is what counts. Use encyclopaedias in book form or CD ROM by all means but please impress upon your son that he has to be very selective indeed when using these sources and only to do so if this will enable a point to be ANALYSED in greater depth than would otherwise be the case. For the most part the information provided by the School is all that is required; it what is done with that information that will count. The best students will only use the minimum information to maximum effect. Please also bear in mind the word limits.

Discuss the detailed action plan with their son so that he is fully aware of what he needs to do at each stage. Ensure that he is keeping up to this schedule by reviewing his progress in some detail. Where has he got to on his plan and what does he intend to do next?

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Setting and Course Schedule

We normally have four to five sets, divided into two teaching columns, with a top, middle and bottom, or a top and middle for each column. Sets are examined every term on the basis of tests, and the final setting arrangements are in the Summer Term of Year 10, after which it is generally considered detrimental to move pupils.

Pupils normally begin with USA: the Depression, move on to the USA: a divided union? in term 2 of Year 10 and undertake the Jack the Ripper coursework in the summer. In Year 11 pupils study Russia in the Autumn Term, complete their coursework and mock examination around new year time and then move on to China.

Final examination

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Tests

The tests will be held either side of each holiday period (i.e. the week before or after half/end of term) and boys will be examined on aspects of the topic(s) they will have most recently been learning about.

Tests (apart from mock examinations which will be longer) last between 35-40 minutes and focus on the boys' ability to:

• Recall their knowledge and understanding of events, people and changes in the past, identifying causes and consequences
• Explain how and why historical events, people, situations and changes have been interpreted in different ways.

Tests will take one or more of the following formats:

• Source analysis skills (boys' ability to identify, select and use a range of appropriate sources of information, but also evaluate the sources' usefulness and use them to reach an independent conclusion)
• Essay- writing skills (boys' ability to communicate their knowledge and understanding of history using both structured narratives and substantiated explanation)
• Some tests will be a combination of both. Boys will be told in advance which skills are being assessed.

For tests involving source analysis, boys will be required to extract information from a particular source, identifying what they can learn about an individual or period in history. In addition, it is likely that they will be asked to consider the usefulness of a source. They should focus not only on what the source tells them about an individual or period but also the extent to which it may be biased, to consider whether it has any limitations as a piece of evidence, considering the nature, origin and purpose of the source. Boys could also be asked to cross-reference a set of sources, i.e. judge how far two or more sources agree or disagree with each other.

For tests involving essay- writing skills, boys will be required to identify the reasons for, and/or consequences of something happening. Marks will be awarded according to the student's ability to go beyond simply describing events and factors by analysing, identifying connections between causes and consequences and substantiating what they write with evidence.

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Key Skills assessment

Throughout the course they will be given the opportunity to write AS- type essays on the GCSE topic areas. These opportunities are crucial tests for the teacher to assess A level suitability. They will be offered either as during normal class sessions, often attached to half-term tests. If a pupil wishes to be considered for the A level course, he must demonstrate progression in these essays.

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Target setting

Target-setting is undertaken on the basis of the level descriptors given above. After the first term of work the classroom teacher will be in a position to determine what grade the pupils is achieving, and thus what skills he needs to improve in order to move the grade upwards. The department will provide targets which boys will use in bespoke tutorials to improve their performance.

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Grade descriptor for top level grades

A starred A grade at GCSE involves the ability to:

• provide and developed and sustained explanation of historical events, which can conclude on relevant factors, explain events in terms of criteria such as economic, political and social factors
• displays an detailed knowledge base
• can use sources and the pupil's own knowledge in order to provide a developed explanation of an event, providing their his own historical interpretation

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Progression beyond GCSE

The criteria by which Year 11 pupils are recommended for Sixth Form entry for history are as follows:

• test results throughout the two- year period. Pupils should show steady progression in these. All pupils should demonstrate a proven ability to learn and retain complex information, and to be able to put such information together in a logical and non-narrative way.
• in addition the pupil should demonstrate an awareness of essay- writing skills. Although the teacher would not expect a pupil to have reached A level standard at Year 11, the opportunity to write full- length essays will be given throughout the course, and the pupil should demonstrate progression in these, proven English skills, and an awareness of the examination board's preferred method of essay- writing.
• mock examination results. These are crucial for a teacher to be able to assess how the pupil is progressing and to predict a likely GCSE grade. It is important for parents to realise, however, that the nature of the subject is such that a grade A or B prediction for GCSE is not automatically the entry criteriona for A level. Although a pupil at this standard may cope with AS level, A2 is challenging in the extreme.
• teacher assessment. It is crucial that the teacher is able to make a qualitative judgement as to the likely progress of the pupil. This will take into account the above examination and testing criteria, but also the following:
  • regularity of homework. Tardy or incomplete homework is an indication that the pupil will not be able to cope with the large demands placed upon him at A level
  • ability in document papers. Pupils need to demonstrate the ability to appreciate document questions, assess the usefulness and reliability of historical sources and use a variety of sources and own knowledge to answer a complex question of historical interpretation
  • file checks. The teacher will make regular progress checks of pupil's' files. Those who fail to keep up with work or , whose files areis scrappy or incomplete are clearly not demonstrating the time- management and autonomous learning skills required for successful A level performance.
  • classroom performance. It is important that the pupil demonstrate an ability to debate complex issues in class, answer questions on a regular basis and demonstrate a sound commitment to the subject. A level History is demanding and pupils should demonstrate a sound interest in the subject.

Please note that coursework performance is not sufficient for A level recommendation and should be ignored for such a purpose. The department does not employ coursework at A level, and so examination skills are of greater importance. Pupils should be made aware of the intellectual demands on the A2 part of the course and the teacher must be fully confident that they will develop sufficient skills to cope with these demands.

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