The course offers history students a good range of historical knowledge encompassing both early modern and modern history in consideration of department expertise, experience and resources.

Year 12                                                                                                                

 Exam board: Edexcel 8HIO1

Route H: Democracies in change: Britain and the USA in the twentieth century – Overview

• Paper 1, Option 1H: Britain transformed, 1918–97

AND

• Paper 2, Option 2H.1: The USA, 1920-55: Boom, bust and recovery

Paper 1, Option 1H: Britain transformed, 1918–97: This option comprises a study in breadth, in which students will learn about the extent to which Britain was transformed politically, socially, economically and culturally in the years 1918–79.  They will consider responses to the challenges of war, fluctuations in the economy, technological advancement and the desire for greater social equality.  The focus of study is on developments and changes over a broad timescale and so the content is presented as themes spanning a significant duration: 1918–79. This option also contains a study in depth of historical interpretations on a broad question, which is contextualised by, and runs on from, the themes: what impact Thatcher’s governments had on Britain, 1979–97.

Paper 2 Option 2H.1: The USA, 1920-55: Boom, bust and recovery: This option comprises a study in depth of the USA in the years 1920–55, and focuses on key economic, social and cultural changes in the USA in the years c1920–55, the often dramatic nature and pace of change, and the effects of these changes on the lives of the American people. Content covered includes topics such as prohibition, the Harlem Renaissance and the affects of the Wall street Crash and Depression. 

Year 13

Paper 3, Option 33: The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750: This option comprises two parts: the Aspects in breadth focus on long-term changes and contextualise the Aspects in depth, which focus in detail on key episodes. Together, the breadth and depth topics explore the nature of the witch craze that took hold in the late sixteenth century and the changing attitudes to magic and sorcery that eventually contributed to its decline. Together, students will study the social, economic, political and dimensions of the phenomenon, and the broad intellectual changes that ushered in what is often called the Age of Reason.

Coursework:

Students will be required to form a critical view based on relevant reading on the question, problem or issue. They will also be specifically required to analyse, explain and evaluate the interpretations of three historians.  The coursework will be assessed using a centre-set assignment on the Holocaust.