Earl Mortimer College and Sixth Form Centre

Welcome to the History department at Earl Mortimer College and Sixth Form Centre.

Understanding the past is the key to understanding the world around you today.

Like Geography, History is a popular subject at GCSE.

All students study History in Years 7, 8 and 9 and they study all kinds of exciting and interesting periods from our recent past. These include the Middle Ages, the period in which the kingdoms of Britain became united, Victorian England, the Industrial Revolution and the First World War.

The GCSE course lets you dig even deeper into key events from history and we are looking forward to teaching you.

What do we intend our students to learn in History?

Whole College INTENT statements:

We believe in a curriculum taught, and untaught, that will:

• deliver outstanding outcomes for all students
• engage, excite and inspire students to learn.
• motivate students, making them ambitious and determined to achieve their personal best.
• celebrate diversity and difference, within a tolerant, fair and just society.
• build students’ mind-set and attitude towards enquiry, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving.
• develop confident and determined learners, willing to take risks and resilient to challenges.
• promote social mobility by providing all students with knowledge of the progression routes into high quality careers in the local, national and global economy so they can make informed choices about their futures whilst also supporting students to overcome barriers and social disadvantage.
• generate cultural capital through offering rich and meaningful learning experiences beyond the classroom.

History Curriculum aims

Learning and undertaking activities in History contribute to achievement of the curriculum aims for all young people to become:

• successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
• confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
• responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.
• Tolerant well rounded individuals who can respond maturely to differing opinions.

The Importance of History

History is vital for students to understand and engage with the world both past and present. It allows them to have a better understanding of their heritage.

In studying History pupils develop an ability to construct well-argued, well informed, balanced and structured arguments.  They are able to engage with both past and present views gaining the tools to understand where they came from. History allows students to have the confidence to express their opinions maturely and effectively on controversial topics.  It gives students the opportunity to explore and develop their own heritage and moral values towards Historical events.