History (GCSE Option)

Belong  

In line with Altus Education Partnership’s vision, the History curriculum supports an inclusive and cohesive education system that improves the lives of young people and their communities. It advances education so that learners lead fulfilling lives and make positive differences to society.   

The curriculum is designed with clear ambition: to enable every student, regardless of background or starting point, to develop a secure and connected understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. History at Edgar Wood Academy is ‘every story’. Students will learn about a diverse range of histories and to empathise with local, national and global communities. They will learn to be critical thinkers and question their assumptions and information that is given to them. Students will explore how history has shaped the country and the world around them. 

Resilience is nurtured through analytical writing and extended enquiries that require perseverance. Responsibility is developed as students consider the consequences of decisions in history and their relevance to civic life today. Empathy is cultivated through examining diverse perspectives, and Respect underpins classroom dialogue and historical enquiry. 

Thrive 

Teaching is knowledge-rich, evidence-informed, and structured to promote historical thinking. Teachers interleave substantive and disciplinary knowledge to help students connect content across time periods and themes.   

Informed by the Science of Learning, lessons integrate retrieval practice to reinforce prior knowledge of chronology, key concepts, and historical vocabulary. Spaced repetition revisits major themes - such as power, conflict, and social change - to strengthen long-term memory. Students are encouraged to 'think like Historians', evaluating sources, forming interpretations, and substantiating claims with evidence. Cognitive-load theory guides planning so that complex material is introduced in manageable steps, supporting all learners to build robust historical schema.   

Implementation centres on adaptive teaching, formative assessment, and collaborative professional learning. Teachers use low-stakes quizzes, structured questioning, and essay feedback using examples and non-examples to identify misconceptions and measure cumulative progress. Regular curriculum review ensures consistency and coherence across key stages.   

Resilience and Responsibility are embedded through sustained enquiry tasks; Empathy and Respect are promoted in discussions that value multiple viewpoints and foster tolerance and critical reflection.   

Achieve  

Students leave Edgar Wood Academy as confident, reflective, and informed historians. They demonstrate secure chronological understanding, the ability to analyse cause and consequence, evaluate significance, and interpret evidence with balance and precision.   

Impact is measured through rigorous assessment, student voice, and work scrutiny to ensure students know more, remember more, and can do more. Outcomes show that learners can apply disciplinary thinking to unfamiliar contexts, demonstrating independence and curiosity about the past.   

Through History, students embody the values of Resilience, Responsibility, Empathy, and Respect. They learn from humanity’s successes and failures and apply these lessons to modern life - supporting the Trust’s mission to advance education that enables young people to make positive, informed contributions to society.   

Through the study of History, learners develop intellectual curiosity, moral awareness, and analytical skill - equipping them to engage critically with the world around them and to shape its future with integrity. 

GCSE History

GCSE History allows you to explore and analyse some of the most significant historical events across different time periods. It builds your skills in engaging in historical enquiry and historical sources to develop as independent learners. You will explore events and people that shaped the world, including events unfolding today.

You will learn to question what you see, read, hear about and think critically – crucial in a time of ‘fake news’.

For more information on what will be studied and how it will be assessed in History in years 10 and 11, please refer to our Year 9 GCSE Options Booklet.

Learning Journeys in History