History – Beckfoot School

We inspire curiosity and debate about the past.

History at Beckfoot provides students with the understanding of the world and their place in it, with a firm grasp of how events in the past have shaped our modern societies.

We will also instill empathy, an appreciation of diversity and how our values today reflect the past. A Beckfoot historian will show a love of the past and be passionate about debating historical concepts.

Our expert teachers act as guides, as our students are encouraged to develop a detailed knowledge of the overview of history as well as focusing on depth studies.

Enrichment

In history, we enrich learners experiences through wider learning days both in and out of school.

We also provide students with opportunities to develop their cultural capital by making connections between history and current affairs.

Assessment

In years 7, 8 and 9, internal assessments will take place throughout each year to monitor pupil progress and further inform teaching and learning.

At GCSE, students will be assessed through their exams at the end of Year 11, with mocks throughout Year 10 and 11 to assess their progress and inform teaching.

KS4 Specification

AQA | History | GCSE | GCSE History

Careers

Our History curriculum develops a range of employable skills: analysis and evaluation, prioritising and supporting arguments, independent research. In addition encourage discussion about careers that History could lead towards.

Archivist
Archaeologist
Policy officer
Politics
Law
Journalism

Curriculum Overview

Year	Cycle 1	Cycle 2	Cycle 3
Year 7	How did the Normans take control of England? Students will be able to explain the causes and consequences of invasions in England in the 10th and 11th century, including why William the Conqueror was able to win the Battle of Hastings How did the Normans keep control of England? Students will understand how the Normans made changes to England in order to keep their power after the Norman conquest	How disastrously was the Black Death for the Medieval World? Students will be able to explain the causes and consequences of the Black Death and understand how Medieval beliefs about illness limited their response to the disease How did the world change with the Age of Exploration? Students will understand how exploration benefited Europe but had a negative impact on indigenous populations	Was Elizabethan England a ‘golden age’? Students will be able to explain how the Elizabethan age can be seen as golden age for different groups of people
Year 8	How revolutionary was the French revolution? Students will be able to explain concepts like monarchy and democracy and explain why the English Civil War and the French Revolution happened and assess how much impact they have on the way in which their countries were ruled How far did life change in the Industrial Revolution? Students will be able to explain the concept of industrialisation and analyse sources to explain how the revolution changed Britain and affected different groups	How did the British Empire change the world? Students will be able to explain key concepts such as imperialism and independence as they explain how Britain formed it’s empire and assess its impact on different places Why did the slave trade end? Students will be able to explain how the Transatlantic Slave Trade began and make links to how it helped the Industrial Revolution. They will also form judgements on why it was abolished and how it continued to affect the lives of freed people and the modern world today	Why was WW1 called the ‘war to end all wars’? Students will explain why both world wars started and explain the significance of key turning points in each war and their impacts on consequences How did ordinary people protest for their rights in Britain? Students will be able to explain how ordinary people fought for their rights in the 19th and 20th centuries and how effective these campaigns were
Year 9	What was life like in Nazi Germany? Students will be able to explain what life was like in Nazi Germany for different groups and how some groups resisted the Nazi rule and the impact of this. What was the turning point of the Second World War? Students will be able to explain what they think was the turning point of the Second World War and why.	What was the Holocaust and how did people respond to it? Students will be able to explain what the Holocaust was, the impact it had, and how different people responded to it. How close did the Cold War come to nuclear war? Students can explain that there were tensions between East and West in the 20th century, why there was a cold war, and how superpowers competed for dominance.	How did China change during the 20th century? Students will be able to explain how China came to be Communist and how this affected the lives of Chinese people and their relationship with the West. Has equality and freedom been achieved in the 20th century? Students will explain the significance of key events in the 20th century and explain the impacts of the events in creating equality and freedom.
Year 10	Part 1 – American People and the ‘Boom: Students will learn about the reasons America experienced an economic boom in the 1920s and the cultural changes this caused. Part 2 – Bust – Americans’ experiences of the Depression and New Deal: Students will learn about America in the great depression and their recovery. Part 3 – Post war America: Students will learn about American society after WW2, ideological tension after WW2 and racial tension and the civil rights movement.	Part 1 – The Korean War: Students will learn about the causes of the Korean War and follow the events of the war up until 1951. Part 2 – Escalation of tension in Vietnam: Students will learn the background to the Vietnam war and the US early intervention in the war.	Part 3 – The ending of the conflict in Vietnam: Students will learn about how the Vietnam war changed after Nixon became president and opposition to the Vietnam war under Nixon. They will also learn about how peace was achieved. Part1 – Elizabeth’s court and parliament: Students will learn about Elizabeth 1’s early life, how she ran the country and the difficulties she faced as a female ruler.
Year 11	Part 1 – Elizabeth’s court and parliament: Students will continue their study of how Elizabeth ruled the country and learn to complete questions 1-3 of a full Elizabeth paper. Part 2 – Life in Elizabethan times: Students will learn about society and cultural changes in Elizabethan England and in particular the issue of poverty in Elizabethan England.	Part 3 – Troubles at home and abroad: Students will learn about reactions to Elizabeth’s religious policy, the problem of Mary Queen of Scots and the conflict between England and Spain. Part 4 – Historic environment study: We will teach about the chosen Historic Environment for the Elizabeth course: The Globe Theatre for 2026 Exams \| Kenilworth Castle for 2027 Exams	Thematic study: theme (Medicine/Power) has changed over time from the Medieval period to the present day. They will explore how key factors have impacted the lives of people in Britain across the time four time periods studied. Revision: Students will follow a revision scheme of learning that will review key content from the four GCSE units. They will also revisit the exam technique for each question type across this scheme.