Overview

The study of history at Mercia School provides pupils with a clear understanding of the history of Britain and its place in the wider world.

The Key Stage 3 History curriculum has been carefully designed to prepare our pupils for the challenges of GCSE study. Pupils study important moments in history from the Battle of Hastings to the civil rights marches of 1960s America, whilst also examining the processes and themes which allowed long-term changes to take place. Furthermore, our lessons and assessments equip Mercia historians with the disciplinary skills necessary for GCSE success. These skills include extended writing, analysis of authentic historical sources, and engagement with historical scholarship and interpretations.

Crucially, our knowledge-rich approach means that pupils already feel confident in studying, recalling, independently revising and applying large bodies of historical knowledge.

Pupils taking GCSE and A Level History at Mercia School gain an advanced understanding of British, American and international history, and build upon the strong foundational knowledge they acquired in Years 7, 8 and 9. The GCSE course is divided into four elements, comprising two units which focus on British history, and two which focus on the wider world.

The broad coverage of wide-ranging time periods and places makes the course fascinating and varied: pupils study all time periods from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century, and while they will certainly deepen their understanding of Britain’s past, they also explore diverse places and regions from Berlin to Budapest; from Cuba to Korea.

At A Level, scholars study modern British and American history, to give them a better understanding of the world we live in today. They also complete a coursework component focused on the Middle East in the Age of Crusades, in which scholars examine individuals’ motivations, the importance of unity and disunity in the victories and losses experienced by warriors in this period and the consequences of the Crusades on the Middle East and the wider medieval world.

Year 7

  • Ancient Rome
  • Anglo-Saxon England
  • Norman England
  • Islamic and Christian worlds
  • Medieval Kingship
  • Reformation and discovery

Year 8

  • The English Reformation
  • Crown and parliament
  • Empire, slavery and abolition
  • Age of Revolutions
  • Industry and reform
  • The Victorian empire

Year 9

  • The First World War
  • World between wars: USSR and USA
  • World between wars: Nazi Germany
  • The Second World War and holocaust
  • Civil rights in the USA
  • The Cold War

Year 10 & 11

Germany, 1890-1945

In this period study, pupils learn about the development of Germany during a turbulent half century of change which saw the development and collapse of democracy, and the rise and fall of a Nazi dictatorship.

Conflict and tension between East and West, 1945-1972

This wider world depth study covers the causes and events of the Cold War. It explores the rivalry and conflict between the USA and the USSR in locations including Berlin, Hungary, Cuba and Vietnam.

Power and the people, c.1170 to present day

This British thematic study focuses on the changing relationship between people and the state since the Middle Ages. Pupils explore the roles played by war, religion, the economy, ideas, and important individuals in challenging authority and enhancing people’s liberties and rights.

Elizabethan England, c.1568-1603

In this British depth study, pupils gain an advanced understanding of the major events of Elizabeth I’s reign, and explore the changing experiences of ordinary people during the Elizabethan ‘Golden Age’.

Exam board

AQA

Specification

Years 12-13

We offer this subject for scholars at sixth form. Click here to find out more.