Curriculum Leader:
Mrs. M Chambers (mchambers@stmichaels.bhcet.org.uk)
List of staff:
Mrs. E Brunger (Assistant Pastoral Manager, Year 8)
Mr. A Robson (Pastoral Learning Manager, Year 11)
Mr. M Scott (Deputy Headteacher, Deputy DSL)
Subject Background
At St. Michael’s, History is about much more than learning what happened in the past. We believe that studying History helps young people to understand the world they live in, appreciate the experiences of others and develop the confidence to form their own informed judgements.
Our curriculum introduces students to a rich and diverse range of people, places, periods and experiences. Students explore themes of power, conflict, inequality, belief and change, considering why events happened, why they mattered and how the past continues to shape our world today.
As a Catholic school, our teaching of History is underpinned by our belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every person. History allows students to encounter lives and experiences different from their own and consider important questions of justice, responsibility and compassion. We encourage students to recognise both humanity's achievements and the consequences of prejudice, intolerance and injustice.
We are ambitious for every student, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. Carefully sequenced learning, explicit vocabulary teaching, modelling, scaffolding and regular retrieval help to remove barriers without reducing expectations. Our classrooms are calm, purposeful and inclusive, with positive relationships and clear routines creating an environment in which students feel secure, valued and ready to learn.
Throughout their study of History, students learn to use evidence critically, consider different interpretations and perspectives, recognise patterns of change and continuity and construct well-supported arguments. In doing so, they become increasingly thoughtful and discerning young people who are able to question information rather than simply accept it.
Above all, we want students to leave History with a genuine curiosity about the past and an understanding that History belongs to everyone. We aim to develop knowledgeable, compassionate and critically minded young people, equipped to understand others, challenge injustice and contribute positively to the world around them.
We teach AQA GCSE History (8145).
The four units are:
- Paper 1A – Period Study: Germany, 1890–1945: Democracy and Dictatorship
- Paper 1B – Wider World Depth Study: Conflict and Tension: The Inter-War Years, 1918–1939
- Paper 2A – Thematic Study: Britain: Health and the People, c1000 to the present day
- Paper 2B – British Depth Study: Elizabethan England, c1568–1603